


The Up Beat

by Bobafettfrommandalore



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra
Genre: Dancer Asami, F/F, Multi, Songwriter Korra, korrasami AU
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-29
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-05-04 01:09:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 39,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5314337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bobafettfrommandalore/pseuds/Bobafettfrommandalore
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Basically dorky Korra's one of the best songwriters around and she manages to piss off premier dance choreographer, Queen Bee, Asami Sato, without saying a word. If you ask Opal though, she'd just tell you it's 'cause the two definitely had *something* at first-sight.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Been travelling a lot around Southeast Asia lately and so I got inspired to write the story out of Republic City. I imagine this taking place in a modern approximation of the Earth Kingdom/ Ba Sing Se/ Zaofu - so basically made up of an amalgam of Singapore, HongKong and Malaysia, I guess. Desert part? Let's imagine that there's a part of Gobi desert fringe in here too. Yes, I know, it's not SE Asia, but hey, this IS a fic. So.
> 
> The mix of places won't unfold until chapter 2. But I wanted to give you guys an idea as to where the story takes place, in terms of geography.

Korra sat on her big, comfy white single couch placed just at the corner of the studio, positioned so it would be unobtrusive to any of the crew and the talents rushing about the place. Opal’s music video rehearsal prep was in full swing as evidenced by all the people milling about. The real shoot wasn’t until tomorrow but looking at the flurry of activity, anybody would think that the actual shoot was already about to happen. Honestly, Korra couldn’t fathom how anything could be done in this chaos. Well, at least she wasn’t caught in it. The couch was her only luxury. The production crew brought it wherever they were shooting at any given time. She’s had the couch since she wrote her first number one song and whatever else anybody said about it, she wasn’t going to part from it. Her trusty, goodluck couch. She even named the darn thing – Naga. It may be weird, but who’s to say she was conventional? And besides, it’s not like anybody could gainsay her, seeing as she wrote and co-produced Opal’s new album. So she placed her oversized headphones on her head and sipped on her matcha frap contentedly, watching the flurry that was the music video crew go about their daily duties to the tune of Foo Fighter’s Learn To Fly until the actual grind started.

 

Korra was on her 4th Foo Fighters song when Opal arrived, accompanied by her entourage, mainly consisting of her “Glam” team (hair, make-up, clothes people) and Bolin, her boyfriend. Opal panned her gaze across the studio until she saw her sitting on the side and approached, wearing her trademark smile. Bolin took a few seconds to realize where his girlfriend was headed and when he did, he rushed over and  _picked_ Korra up in a bearhug that might’ve been really meant for someone with the constitution of an actual bear and not someone barely 5’5ft in height.

 

“Uhh.. Bo.. can’t… breathe…uhhh” Korra managed to get out between frantic breathing, crushed in between Bolin’s muscled arms. “Oh man, sorry Korra, I just missed you.. uhhu.. since I saw you yesterday” Bolin smiled sheepishly, gently placing Korra on the floor whilst the latter took deep breaths and tried to get her normal airflow back. Opal waited a few seconds before hugging her “Hey Kor. Nice to see you hanging out here, for once.”

 

Korra huffed. “I just wanted to listen to the song outside a soundproof room. There’s this drop in the bridge where I think the percussion could still improve. Maybe listening to it while it’s not being played in relative isolation might make me realize what I still need to do. But that’s just me.”

 

Opal smiled at her friend “Ever the perfectionist. I already love the song as it is Kor, no need to make more changes – and if it wasn’t you I’d put my foot down. But since it is  _you_ then I trust your judgment. You’ve got magic ears that can hear music unlike anyone I’ve ever known and if you say the song still needs work, then it needs work.”

 

Korra gave her friend a hug “Thanks for trusting my judgment Opal. I know this is a gamble for you since this is my first work in three years. Don’t think I’m not grateful for it.”

 

Opal rolled her eyes. “If anyone’s grateful, it’s me. I mean, YOU’RE THE AVATAR, for spirits’ sake, the pop scene’s Wunderchild! This album is going to be another grammy winner, I can feel it.”

Korra blushed in embarrassment. She knew she was good - she is great actually. She used to be one of the most lauded up-and-coming songwriters of the United Republic three years prior, before she took a hiatus for personal reasons.

 

She was about to tell Opal to go get ready when the production assistant spoke into the microphone informing everybody that the rehearsal was about to begin. Korra gave Opal and Bolin quick hugs before shooing them away to their dressing room, to await their turn to shoot. Korra sat back on Naga and proceeded to make herself comfortable.

 

* * *

 

 

She was just tucking her feet under her when a group of people dressed in sweatpants, sarouels and Nike tops arrived. This must be the dance crew, she thought. She was eyeing the new arrivals when her gaze caught on one of the dancers. She was tall and lanky but it was obvious from the glistening skin on her arms and subtle abs peeking from her crop top that her body is in top form. Korra was still staring at the enthralling being in front of her, scanning her gaze towards the person’s face when her eyes met the ones belonging to the person of her interest.

 

Startling jade green orbs met her cerulean ones and instantly Korra felt her breath leave her body. This woman she was staring at must be the most beautiful person she’s ever seen in her life! The jade eyes belonged to a face with a creamy porcelain complexion, framed with the blackest tresses that curled and waved in a seemingly artful cascade. Korra gaped, her mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. She must have been staring for a whole 10 seconds when she noticed the woman’s perfectly sculpted eyebrow raise slightly. She ducked her face in embarrassment (caught staring, _sheesh_ ) until the group passed her by, making their way into the stage at the center of the studio.

 

A voice blared over the studio, “Alright you music rats, grind starts in 3…2..1.. now. Let’s all have an awesome day y’all!”. Some people cheered in reply before the usual air of what can only be described as frenzied focus settle down on the whole studio.

 

Korra took off her headphones, wanting to hear her song as it is being played to accompany the dancers for the opening number. She was also discreetly glancing at the eye-candy that was the tall dancer she encountered a few minutes back.

 

The dancer, it turns out is the lead choreographer, dictating her team’s places and after a few minutes, settled on what looked to be her spot on the stage, almost in front of Korra.

 

The opening strains of the music started to play and suddenly, the group of dancers started to move. Korra was mesmerized, having the most enchanting view in front of her. She immediately failed being satisfied with throwing the girl discreet glances and turned into discreet staring instead ( _if she leaned a bit to the right, some of the amps covered her face – but not her view-, so what about it?_ ). The tall dancer with the striking jade-colored eyes moved like water – sultry and flowing at one time, turning into a violent almost frenzied rush in a matter of seconds. If Korra thought she was beautiful when was just walking, she thought the girl was magic and grace personified, now that she was dancing.

 

The director stopped the music a couple of minutes into the shoot, since he wanted to check some camera angles he thought would be more interesting. All the while, Korra was still staring at the alluring dancer in front of her. She just couldn’t tear her eyes off the girl. She was jolted from her reverie though, when the girl looked directly at her ( _not really covered by the amps then, oops_ ), this time with what looked like a scowl on her lips.

 

The music started again and that got the dancers going with Korra trying to watch the lead dancer discreetly by pretending to look at everyone on that general vicinity. After a few minutes into the song, the lead dancer tripped a bit doing what looked like a complicated series of footwork. She raised her hand to the director to indicate she wanted to do the part again. As the music stopped, Korra saw the tall girl cast her a _scowl_? before she motioned for one of the production assistants to approach her. The dancer had a few words with the P.A. vaguely gesturing to where Korra was seated. Korra was not really curious as to what they were talking about, still content with staring (gaping like a harpooned fish, more like it) at the beautiful dancer. The P.A. started towards Korra, wearing a somewhat hesitant expression and stopped in front of her. Korra finally tore her eyes away from the dancer (who was now avoiding looking at her, for some reason) to address the P.A. standing in front of her. “Yes?” she asked. The P.A. started fidgeting nervously “Uhhh. Ms. Sato is respectfully requesting that you leave the studio, right now”, she finished in a rush. Korra cocked her head in bewilderment. “Huh? Who’s Ms. Sato?”

 

The P.A. ducked his head nervously, as if fearing he might get some retaliation for what he has been ordered to do. “Ms.Sato’s the choreographer” he said, pointing to the dancer who has totally addled Korra’s wits since she saw her “and she’s respectfully requesting that you go outside or leave the studio, right now.”

 

Korra’s mouth was once again open, but for a totally different reason “Why?”. The P.A. seemed to become more uncomfortable at being asked the question and was about to answer when the music started up again. Korra stood up and looked at the poor PA expectantly, tapping her foot in impatience. “She said your staring is distracting and if you don’t have anything better to do than stare, then you should probably find something more interesting outside and leave the studio immediately” the PA mumbled. Korra wasn’t able to understand the garbled words “Hey, hey, I can’t hear you when you talk like that over the music, can you say that again, slowly and louder?”

 

The PA nodded, looking like he wanted to be anywhere but where he was at the moment. “Ms. Sato said...” he started but Korra cut in “LOUDER!”. He gulped and started again, “SHE SAID, YOUR STARING IS DISTRACTING AND IF YOU DON’T HAVE ANTHING BETTER TO DO THAN STARE, THEN YOU SHOULD PROBABLY FIND SOMETHING MORE INTERESTING OUTSIDE AND LEAVE THESTUDIOIMMEDIATELY! He finished, just as the music cut off again, making the last part of his statement to echo loudly causing everybody to turn their heads towards them. 

 

Korra was so stunned, her brain went blank. For a minute, she just stood there, her mouth opening and closing, but no words were coming out. She panned her gaze around the room, everyone was looking at her and the PA. Her gaze finally rested on the culprit, the tall dancer whom she just couldn’t seem to get enough of. Funnily enough, while everyone was looking as shocked as her (or as close to an approximation of shock as hers) the Choreographer in question was looking at the ceiling, a bit of a ( _guilty?_ ) flush on her cheeks. Korra let her gaze linger for a couple seconds more. Then she took her headphones from Naga and marched out of the studio, without a word.

 

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

 _Finally._ Asami let out a relieved sigh. That girl’s staring was messing up her steps. Or, to be brutally honest, she was messing up her concentration. And poise. And dancing. AND she never messed up once she was doing a choreography dance in front of her crew, or studio people- not with a routine she’s practiced more times than she can count. She’s never faltered, not since she was still starting out. And here she just stumbled. All because of the strange (albeit really attractive person) sitting on that white couch. Who was she to get a couch anyway? It looked like she wasn’t doing anything productive on the shoot. She must be just some lay-about. Though Asami couldn’t understand why the studio people let one of their workers sit on a couch whilst the others were obviously working. She made up her mind to tell Opal, after the shoot. Even though she knew Opal could afford it, Asami thought it was still a waste of money paying for a crew that had some incompetent people in it, she justified. (T _hough in truth, she was still feeling inexplicably very, very guilty for having the cute girl thrown out)._

Asami was jolted from her train of thought when the music started again. She took a deep breath and counted to three. She put everything at the back of her mind and started to dance.

 

 

* * *

 

 

 

“Alright folks, that’s it for the dancers’ first part. Good job! Let’s take about 15 minutes break to set up the next set” the voice boomed on the mic and Asami and her crew immediately dispersed from the stage to take their break. Asami was feeling great, the rest of the practice went by without a hitch. She was scanning for somewhere to sit at when her eyes fell on the white single couch near the stage.

 

She was again reminded of the stranger with the blue, blue eyes. She walked towards it, her earlier elation dampened by what she thinks is an uncharacteristic bitchiness on her part. There was just something about the girl. Asami was never flustered. She was unflappable. But one look from those cerulean eyes deduced her to a rookie dancer. She reached the white couch and ran a hand on the upholstery. It looked soft. And pretty big for a single couch but somehow, she thinks, it suited the curious stranger so well.

 

She was still thinking about the dark-skinned, blue-eyed girl when she heard her name being shouted, “ASAMI!!!”. Next thing she knows, she’s engulfed in a massive pair of arms that could only belong to her friend, Bolin. “Bolin, put Asami down. You can’t keep hugging our friends like that or you’ll break every one of them”, she heard Opal’s voice admonish the very excitable man hugging her. “Oh, right, sorry” Bolin muttered even as he put her down gently on the floor.

 

Asami turned towards her friends and after a couple of deep breaths to make sure her lungs were working properly, hugged her favorite couple. “Opal, Bolin, I missed you. I’m so glad I finally get to see you on this project. I couldn’t get away from Future Industries sooner and by the time my vacation started, they said you’ve already flown here to Ba Sing Se ahead of schedule”.

 

“That’s okay, Asami! It feels good to see you not wearing business attire, for once” Opal joked.

 

“Wow Opal, I gotta tell you, this new song is so good! Is this the surprise you were telling me about? I get to be one of the first to hear your next award-winning single?” Asami gushed. Opal beamed “Actually, the song is part of it, but the real surprise is you finally get to meet the one who wrote it. Remember my friend, Korra, whom I told you is a musical genius? She’s actually here right now!”.

 

Asami looked around “Wow! The _elusive,_ very _talented_ Korra whom you two just can’t seem to shut up about on skype? Where is she?”.

 

“You’ll love her Asami, she’s the best” Bolin said, while trying to look behind Asami. “Actually, she was sitting here on Naga when we last left her”. “Naga?” Asami asked, already feeling some dread crawling up her spine. “Yeah, Naga, this white couch. Have you seen her? Cute, like yay high” he said, gesturing with his hand “blue-eyed usually with big headphones around her neck. Asami, what’s wrong?” By this time, Asami was covering her flushed face with her hands and muttering “Oh my spirits” repeatedly.

 

“Asami, are you okay?” Opal asked pulling Asami’s hands from her face and peering at her worriedly. Still feeling like she could die then and there from embarrassment looked at her friends and Asami let out a shameful breath “I sort of had her kicked out of the studio”. She covered her face again and sat down on the couch, her friends looking at her like she sprouted an extra head.

 

* * *

 

Opal, Bolin and Asami were lounging at one of the Bei Fong Estates’ numerous verandas, overlooking the desert valley. The shoot finished late into the afternoon and the three were relaxing while the sunset gilded everything gold. Well, two were relaxing. The Dancer with the green eyes was just staring sullenly at nothing. They were drinking wine, or in Bolin’s case, scarfing an alarming amount of snacks. Asami was sitting on Naga (the production people had the couch transferred to Opal’s after the shoot, apparently it was standard procedure and the studio guys were used to it). She was still dwelling on what happened earlier at the studio and as a result, was in turns morose ( _over her very bad behavior_ ), embarrassed ( _over her very bad behavior)_ andin a state of disbelief ( _over her very bad behavior AND, for making an assumption that just because one was sitting on a couch during a shoot doesn’t mean that that person wasn’t there for a reason)._

In truth, she just generally wanted to sink into the desert floor and never be seen by society again. But things in the real world didn’t work that way. She was still mulling over these when she felt a touch on her arm. “Hey, it’s okay, it was just a misunderstanding” Opal said, no doubt trying to comfort her. “Yeah and you know, Korra’s really nice, I’m sure she’s forgotten about it now… I think” Bolin mused.

 

Asami groaned, sinking deeper into her chair. “So no one’s seen her yet?” she asked, her voice muffled by the hands covering her face.

“Oh don’t worry about her, she lived here for a few months, back when she was travelling. She’ll find her way back later, she usually likes to visit her friends in town anyway” Opal answered. “Why’d you have her kicked out, anyway?” she asked, eyebrow raised in question “I’ve never known you to have one mean bone in your body. And Korra used to be a hothead, but ever since she came back, she’s been more mellow. I can't imagine what she did to piss you off”.

 

Asami popped a green eye open and looked at her friends, both looking at her expectantly. “Uhm. Well..” she said, twiddling her thumbs “she kinda made me lose concentration”.

 

“Make you lose concentration?”

 

“Yeah.. I caught her staring at me. Like, I came in and she was looking at me, we started the set, then I caught her again, staring the whole time I was doing my first routine. And then I stumbled. So I had a P.A. ask her to _kindly_ to leave the studio”. Asami knew what she did was bad, but it sounded worse when she was recounting it. She glanced up to see Opal and Bolin giving her unbelieving looks.

 

“Asami Sato. Stumbling. On a dance routine. That she choreographed. Oh. My. Spirits!” Bolin gasped out.

“Did they get that on camera? Otherwise I wouldn’t believe it!” Opal asked, astounded.

 

Asami closed her eyes again, and took a sip of her wine “Yes, with several angles too” she muttered dejectedly. “I can’t believe I offended one of the best songwriters of this generation and we haven’t even met yet. How can I be so stupid?”

 

“Actually..” she heard Bolin say “The real question is… “Why’d you stumble? You’re _Asami Sato. Dancing prodigy._ You NEVER do a dance step wrong.”

 

“Asami…” Opal shook her arm to get her to look at them.

 

Asami opened her eyes to the couple grinning at her like they knew something she didn’t.

 

“Asami Sato. Queen Bee. The Unshakeable. Stumbling and getting pissed at someone, all in one day. That’s not like you at all. There must be something about Korra, huh?”. Opal’s expression was sly now, teasing her.

 

“I… uhh…Huh…” Asami let out a breath. For some reason, she couldn’t find anything to say to that. So she did the only thing she could do in the meantime. She took her half-full wine glass and drank till the last drop. When she finished, she noticed that her two friends were still looking at her with similar shit-eating grins. She chose to ignore them, instead, getting the bottle of wine and pouring herself another glass and going back to her sulking.

 

She was Asami Sato, she wasn’t usually flustered, she could face off and face down the most seasoned businessmen in her Father’s boardroom. She could perform a perfect dance number in front of a crowd of thousands. But for some reason, today, a stranger’s blue-eyed gaze caused her to stumble doing a simple dance step. And with that, she groaned and slumped deeper into the big white couch. The desert floor may not be able to swallow her whole right now, but she can at least try her best to disappear into the cushions of the comfy white couch in the meantime.

 

 

 


	2. The Jade Dragon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami finds Korra in the most unlikely of places. And Iroh! :D

Asami got off the cab and looked around at the unfamiliar area. The driver assured her that the tea place she was looking for was just beyond the alley. The _shady_ looking alley. She peered through the narrow-looking pathway and for a minute considered going back to her hotel. She clicked her tongue and wondered why she let the driver drop her off here, at what he claimed was a supposed shortcut. He said the streets were too narrow to maneuver from here on and Asami’s traitorous _temporary_ sense of adventure let her acquiesce. Now she was almost regretting the decision.

 _Oh well, nothing for it._ She squared her shoulders and entered the alley. It was in between buildings, the walls covered with some kind of clinging ivy. As she got further into the narrow corridor, she could see patches of gold wherein the sun’s rays got through the buildings’ numerous fire escapes and verandas, making dust motes visible and gilding some parts of the alley gold. Asami grudgingly thought that it was actually, turning out into a very pleasant walk.

As she neared the alley exit, she started hearing a buzz, like many people converging in one place. She hurried her steps and she burst through a world she’s never had the indulgence of experiencing before. She’s never been to this part of Ba Sing Se. It was in the Middle Ring, near the outer rim, as far away on foot as she ever got from the Inner ring – away from those skyscrapers built from polished steel and imposing concrete. Away from the speeding sportcars and upper class living.

Where she was now was so different. Rustic, without lacking an interesting character. There were various shops about, selling anything from trinkets to antique furniture to heirlooms, to exotic paraphernalia – you name it, it seemed this street had it. The Dancer looked around in awe. It was _refreshing_. While the Inner Ring had streets of zooming cars, here, the streets are full of pedestrians – people seemingly going about their business for the day. But that’s not the only glaring difference though.

She’s been to Ba Sing Se lots of times but all of those moments were on business and had limited her visits to the Central Business District. And even then, those moments were mostly spent indoors in boardroom meetings, malls, for shopping and hotel rooms. She’s really glad of her uncharacteristic bit of impulsive thinking that morning and decided to finally visit the Jade Dragon. She smiled. This field trip was turning out to be a very big lucky break, she thinks. BSS Middle Ring was teeming with _life-_ there was no other way she could describe it and no other word to do it justice.

Whilst there were actually quite a number of people living in the Inner Ring Business District, there was a curious lack of _people_ sounds, but this part of Middle Ring downtown just absolutely burst with it. There’s a myriad of thrums, echoes, shouts and more importantly, laughter. People here were smiling, talking to each other. While there were always those who seemed they were off to somewhere, their pace was unhurried, relaxed even. And the _scents_! The smells of food from various street vendors lining up the road side was everywhere. Asami’s mouth watered, making her aware that she hasn’t had breakfast yet, besides the coffee she hurriedly chugged after getting dressed.

Once again, she was glad she decided to make the most of the remaining 3 days she had in Zaofu and took the train to neighboring Ba Sing Se for the day. After that, it was back to Republic City and Future Industries. While she loved her “day job” as an Engineer, she wasn’t in a hurry to resume the mantle. She rarely got time off from the grind that was her Father’s company and rarer still, for her to have time to work on her other passion, Dance. She was just really happy she got this time off. Truth to tell, she really had pushed for this vacation – it was for Opal, after all. So here she was.

She felt light, her chest unburdened by her usual responsibilities. And to add to the great feeling was this rare freedom that she was indulging in today. She only had one problem, and her eyebrows furrowed a bit at the memory of blue, blue eyes. She resolved to not think about that today but _that woman_ was always at the back of her mind, the thought of what she’d done nagging her, preventing her from truly relaxing.

The shoot had finished yesterday, and everything went great. Opal was outstanding, as usual, her dancers were on top form, everything finished without a hitch. But she still hasn’t seen _Korra_. She never came back since that embarrassing first day and Asami just felt guiltier and guiltier the longer she wasn’t able to apologize for her lack of chill. It didn’t help that the woman she was looking for was really as elusive as the media made her out to be. Half of the time Asami spent at the shoot was looking over heads of people trying to spot that pair of oversized headphones that Bolin said Korra almost never took off. All in vain though.

 

Asami gave out a sad sigh. She was the worst sometimes. She was resolute to not leave the Earth Republic without saying sorry to the songwriter, _IF_ she could find her. She let out a frustrated breath. _Where is she?_ She couldn’t figure out why she was too troubled with it. It was just a misunderstanding. With a girl she didn’t even know personally.

Another thing was, in the deepest recesses of her mind, she just could figure out why she was so affected by the incident. On another circumstance, she'd just brush it off as business, nothing personal. But this, this was somehow different. She's actually lost some sleep over it and she couldn't understand why. A movement near her feet caught her attention breaking her from her reverie. It was a calico cat rubbing itself on her leg and just like that, it went on its way. Asami smiled. _At least someone likes me._

She started walking forward, following what the driver told her earlier, once out of the alley, look for the giant Acacia Tree and turn towards the right corner. The Jade Dragon’s just located a couple of shops down, _you can’t miss it_. She scanned the perimeter and spotted the giant tree, she paused for a couple of seconds, admiring the branches forking from the towering trunk and looking at the people lounging on benches under the massive shade its leaves cast. She resumed walking and tried to match the people’s pace around her, slow and unhurried, drinking in the sights. She took out her Satocam and took pictures of whatever caught her fancy. 

 _There_ , exotic colorful dragon fruit. _Click_. A kite caught amongst the Acacia branches. _Snap_. Laughing kids playing tag around a water fountain. _Snap._ An assortment of what looked like grilled, _crispy_ -looking insects – beetles, crickets and _were those caramelized spiders_ (Uhh Tarantulas!)??! _Snap_. Old men playing Pai-sho on a board drawn on the street pavement and some younger men cheering the competitors on. _Snap_. A woman and a vendor loudly haggling over some vegetables, the vendor cradling a very big cabbage to his chest. Asami smiled. There was so much _life_ here. As she neared the corner where she was supposed to turn right, she heard singing cut across the crowd’s pleasant din. 

 

The melodious voice had a certain rasp to it that made each inflection of each note cut through the heart, it was accompanied by the strains of an acoustic guitar. The song was sorrowful yet hopeful at the same time. Curiously, it was the complete opposite of the hustle going around Asami. The melody weaved in and out of the sounds of the street and somehow blended with it. The tune had a quiet quality to it but somehow it didn’t sound out of place in that little pocket of downtown Middle Ring. Somehow, it made it more… welcoming. Asami’s ears perked up like a puppy after hearing its owner come home. She followed as if in a trance. As she rounded the corner, she found the singer with her back turned towards her, having a small, motley audience in front of her, rapt with attention.

Asami kept walking towards the entrancing voice. That was when she saw a pair of oversized headphones wrapped on the singer’s neck. It was _her_. Asami stopped in her tracks, letting the last notes of the melody wash over her. The song was so sad, she couldn’t help but close her eyes and let the feeling of melancholy settle over her heart. She didn’t realize the song was done until she heard the same raspy voice cut through her introspection, nearer, this time.  

“You can’t have me kicked out here again, you know.” 

Asami opened one green eye. The singer was looking at her, a beat-up guitar strung across her torso. Her short, choppy hair being blown about by a slight breeze, making it flutter around the edges. Shadows from the Acacia leaves played a game of chase on her face and blue, blue eyes looking at her with what seemed like a wary consideration. 

The first thought to go through Asami’s mind was _Spirits… she’s breathtaking_. The second was _Spirits….wow._

She only belatedly realized that she was staring and the speaker was still waiting for her to answer, an eyebrow raised in expectation. _Oh, right._

Asami cleared her throat. “Uh… hey”. It came out more as a startled croak. _How can she make me lose my composure in just a few seconds?_  

She started again with a breathy “I finally I found you”. Asami facepalmed internally. _That sounded like an innuendo._ Luckily, the Singer just cocked her head to the side, brow furrowed in guarded curiosity.

“I’m sorry I had you kicked out the studio.” Asami let out a low sigh of relief, _finally, a cohesive sentence_. “I’ve been looking for you ever since but I couldn’t find you. Opal said you usually go around Zaofu, since you lived around here before.”

The Songwriter still wasn’t saying anything and Asami started to fidget, worried that she was going to be turned away. _You get what you give._

“Uhm.. I’m Asami, Opal and Bolin’s friend.” She held out her hand to the songwriter who was still looking at her as if she might bolt any second. 

It took a couple of seconds for the songwriter to finally grasp the hand held out to her. “Korra”.

 

Asami tightened her hold. The songwriter’s hand was calloused, but had a firm handshake. “Again, I really wanted to say sorry since I had you kicked out.” She couldn’t figure out why she was feeling so bashful. She looked at her feet instead of the intense blue eyes studying her. “I’m not usually such a bitch. I don’t know what came over me.” Asami didn’t realize she was still holding Korra’s hand until her hand was squeezed in return and was abruptly let go. She raised her eyes towards the girl who was causing her such discomposure. “Tell me how I can make it up to you”. She added, not really knowing why, but the blue eyes looking at her intensely was disturbing all her normal brain functions and she was actually just acting on impulse.

Korra put her hands on her hips, her lips pursed, as if in thought. Asami waited patiently for what she had to say.

“If you want to make it up to me….food. Feed me.” 

_Wait. What?_

“What?” Asami said, not believing if what she heard was real. 

“Buy me lunch! And Dinner! And dessert! I’m starving! You Madame, are my ticket to today’s Food Binge!” the girl with the guitar said. Then she smiled a crooked smile that had the tall dancer’s chest thudding. 

“Wait…” Asami said, still gathering her flustered self. “What do you mean ‘Food Binge’?”

“Welll…. It just so happens that today’s the Feast of The Full Moon. It’s celebrated here in the Middle Ring, honoring one of the old religion’s deities, Yue, the goddess of the moon.”

Asami cocked her head. “But I thought Ba Sing Se’s always worshipped the Earth Spirits? Yue’s a deity from the Water Tribes.”

Korra gave her a slightly impressed glance. “So you know your folklore.” She gave her another lop-sided smile. “Yes, Yue is a Water-tribe goddess. But after the 100-Year War, some of the Water Tribes migrated towards here by way of the Land Bridges, which once connected a part of the Norther Water Tribe continent to the Earth Republic. Some of those people settled here and grew to be quite a sizable number. Now, they celebrate their old beliefs along with the new ones they’ve acquired here in Ba Sing Se.”

 _Wow._ Now it was Asami’s turn to look impressed. _There was more to this girl than meets the eye._

“So, what say you? Be my food provider for the day?” Korra asked, her cerulean eyes getting bigger, giving Asami the impression of a cute puppy begging for something to munch on, or to splurge on, in this case. Somehow she couldn’t say no to that.

“Sure” she grinned.

She was surprised when she heard a loud “Woohoo!” from the other woman. She jumped into the air like she just won something.

“I will make you _earn_ your forgiveness, lady!” Korra said, a comical expression of almost maniacal glee on her face, while she was rubbing her hands together. Asami almost backed out then and there. _Just what did this food binge entail?_

“But first, lemme get this little baby home”, Korra said, tapping her beat-up guitar. She turned around and motioned to Asami to follow her.

The Dancer almost forgot what she was here for in the first place till she saw the singer enter a small, rustic shop which had an intricate painting of a green dragon entwined through the real ivy growing on its façade. The _Jade Dragon._ The shop had a brick exterior, the roof made of clay shingles the edges tapering off to form a sculpture of a phoenix in flight. It looked old, in the sense that it has seen many seasons and has been the setting of many stories and many lifetimes.

Korra pushed the door and held it open for Asami. There was a sound of a gentle tinkling of bells. Asami looked up to see small bells hung on the ceiling. “Iroh! I’m back!” Korra called. The interior of the shop was quite quaint. It looked ancient but well-cared for, with polished wooden floors and small, intricately-carved tables.

Asami went to look closer and found that the table sides were actually very detailed reliefs of what she could only assume as the Spirit Tales – a very popular piece of folklore in the Earth Kingdom. There were also crystal and ceramic tea sets inside a couple of tall, sturdy looking cabinets on one side. Judging by their colors, and make, they were very old sets, but it was again obvious how a lot of care was put into maintaining it, as they were all sparkling and very clean.

Asami was taking pictures of one of the murals on the wall when she heard a throat clearing behind her. “Can I help you, lovely lady?”

She turned around and was greeted with the sight of an ancient old man, amber eyes crinkled in mirth, looking at her. “Oh, I’m sorry. I came here with Korra” she tilted her head to look for the other girl but couldn’t find her “but I was initially looking for your shop, before I bumped into her.”

“Oh? Looking for our shop? I must admit, I’m surprised, not many outsiders come here. And even fewer very beautiful outsiders, at that.” The old man said, still smiling. Asami blushed. The Old Man’s jollity was infectious though, and she let out a grin, blushing slightly from his flirtatious banter.

“My Dad used to come to Ba Sing Se a lot when I was a kid. It’s where he met my mom. He said that it was on a small Tea Shop in the Middle Ring that had the best tea he’s ever had in his life. I’ve wanted to visit this place ever since I’ve heard his story. It always sounded like he made it up just to make his and mom’s first meeting sound romantic”. She tucked a stray hair behind her ear and looked down, embarrassed at something that she couldn’t really put her finger on.

She was surprised when she felt a pair of rough, calloused hands take hers and she looked up to find the Old Man considering her. “I think I remember who you were talking about. Your mother looks just like you, she loved reading here on afternoons. She was never without a book, that lady. Till one afternoon a gentleman stumbled through the door. He was a bit brusque in manners, at first. Demanding to get some tea when he wasn’t served first. Till your Mother gave him a talking to. He came to the shop every afternoon after that. And the rest, as they say, is history.”

Asami was looking at the old man in wonder. “You _knew_ my parents?” she asked, eyes shining.

“You are a spitting image of Yasuko. I thought I was transported back in time, when I saw you studying the tea sets. Her and Hiroshi were two of my favorite customers”.

Asami nodded, for some reason, she felt the urge to cry at that simple story but she resisted the compulsion. And forgot she still didn’t know the Old Man’s name. She glanced the hands that still held hers. “I’m Asami.”

“Iroh” the old man said, squeezing her hands.

They were interrupted by a loud “Gosh Iroh, I’m not even gone for a few minutes and you’ve already made a move on the pretty girl.”

“Well, it’s not my fault you’re slow with the ladies, Korra. And they seem to like me better.”

Asami glanced at the Singer to catch her spluttering, trying to come up with a response. She’s changed from the oversized jacket she was wearing on the street, now sporting her usual headphones, a sleeveless blue vest, cargo pants and sneakers. She was also holding a faded baseball cap.

The green-eyed dancer noted that the singer’s dusky arms were muscled, ( _oh my_ ) causing her to swallow. She forced her eyes away from the still speechless girl and settled them on Iroh. He was looking back and forth between the two of them and when he looked at Asami again, he seemed to be on the verge of telling her something important, only to hesitate before he said it. He turned his head towards Korra instead, who was now sulking, sitting on the counter.

“Are you coming back later? Or will I not see you for a long time again? I never know, with you”.

Korra got up “We’ll be back. I’m just gonna make Asami buy me a festival’s worth of food this Full Moon Fest!” She jumped from the counter, landing on the balls of her feet, and then proceeded to make her way towards the two.

She took Asami’s hand from Iroh, then pulled her towards the exit.

“Korra,” Iroh called “make sure you don’t _tire_ Ms.Asami out. And when you come back, I’ll have something for her”. He said this with a mischievous lilt in his voice.

This caused the songwriter to look at her hand, still clasping the dancer’s. She let go quickly, as if she was burned. “I.. I’m not gonna _tire her out._ Iroh you perv”, she muttered under her breath.

Asami let out a chuckle. The two were arguing like they’ve been friends for a long time, and despite the sarcastic way Korra sometimes spoke to Iroh, it seemed that there was a genuine, underlying affection there.

Korra turned to face her. “Alright, Asami, are you ready for the food adventure of a lifetime?” she said, tilting her head in that way of hers and giving her that signature lop-sided smile.

The rays of the sun shone through the shadows of the leaves of the Acacia tree and right then, hit Korra’s smiling face. Asami’s breath hitched.

“Sounds perfect.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, FOOD BINGE!!!
> 
> The places in mind while I was writing this are a blend of Cambodia, HongKong and Thailand. :D
> 
> Sometimes I post pics of my travels on my photography portfolio (I only use it for employment purposes, so as a tumblr blog, it's not much but...), not a lot is on there right now though ('coz i'm terrible at updating and I'm not on tumblr a most of the time so....) but I will post more Asia pics soon. http://theshackie.tumblr.com/
> 
> again, not beta'd :D


	3. The Tuktuk From Hell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I lied. No bingeing on this chapter yet. But to make up for that, there are some pre-Korrasami Korrasami moments haha
> 
> Anyhoo, I'm on a writing-spree! Hopefully this keeps up so I wouldn't take so long in updating my fics. Hope you enjoy this chapter though :D
> 
> Happy New Year, everyone!

“Alright, be prepared for the best food trip of your life!” Korra grinned, her excitement rubbing off on Asami.

The Songwriter gestured for the Dancer to follow her, walking away from the Jade Dragon, smile never leaving her face.

“You're lucky you came here at a good time! The Outer Ring Moon Festival is one experience you shouldn't miss in your lifetime!” Korra said, eyes twinkling.

“Wait.” Asami stopped, causing her excited companion to stop as well. “ The  _ Outer Ring _ ?” she scrunched up her forehead “Isn't it…  _ dangerous  _ there?” she asked, lowering her voice at her last words and looked from side to side discreetly, as if afraid that anyone might overhear.

Korra laughed in answer. “Where’d you hear that?”

“Well…” Asami said, looking bashful, now that she realized what she said actually sounded so.. snobbish. “I’ve never been there. But I’ve heard some of my dancers talking about the Outer Ring and they say you won't get out there without getting your purse or worse, your neck slit.” 

Korra looked at her, a considering expression on her face “Wellll, there are always some unscrupulous people anywhere you go, but as long as you know what you’re doing and you know some people, you'll be safe. You definitely won’t have your neck slit, I assure you of that otherwise I’m not a good guide at all” she ended with a laugh.

Asami still looked doubtful until Korra held out her hand to her and assumed a serious expression “Do you trust me?... I can show you the world, shining shimmering, splendid.” 

To which immediately had Asami bursting into a laugh and Korra grinning. “What? I love that mover!”

Asami was still chuckling when they proceeded on their way.

* * *

 

 

Korra led her towards a narrow alley, the pavement uneven and potholed until they reached a side street full of tuktuk drivers.

Tuktuks were native to Ba Sing Se, used particularly in the Middle and Outer rings. It was their most prevalent version of public utility vehicles. Tuktuks varied in size and looks but these were actually roofed, modified side cars, made up of a motley of metal or wood, and pulled by a motorcycle. It looked, in Asami’s opinion, a deathtrap waiting to happen. But that was just her. 

The street looked to be a local hangout. There was no traffic coming in so it looked like a parking lot instead of a thoroughfare. Some drivers were lounging inside their tuktuks, sleeping. Others were involved in raucous coin toss games, hollering and teasing each other everytime the coins hit the pavement. Some were just eating or reading or talking contentedly. What was obvious though was the camaraderie amongst the men. All in all it made for a very relaxing atmosphere, nothing like what Asami was used to. It was a breath of fresh air.

“I've never ridden one of these, Asami said, looking around in unabashed excitement starting to surface from her initial reluctance.

“Really? How many times have you been here to Ba Sing Se?” Korra queried while she was looking from side to side, seemingly trying to find someone.

“Hmmm.. A total of five times.”

“Really? How come you haven’t ridden a tuktuk before? It's like, Ba Sing Se's official taxi.” Korra asked, lifting a newspaper off a sleeping driver's face and putting it back again when it wasn't the guy she was looking for.

“Oh, uhm, I've either always been driven around by chauffeur or drove myself around. I’m not really familiar with any other place other than the inner ring Business District. This is the first time I’ve strayed from there” the dancer said, with a bit of embarrassment lacing her words.

“Wow. It's a good thing you found me then, I’m like, the perfect tour guide for a first time middle and outer ring traveler. Minimum expenditure, maximum experience. You don’t know how lucky you are” Korra smirked.

Asami raised a sculpted eyebrow. “Im betting you’re the most humble tour guide too” she said teasingly. Korra only laughed hard. Asami was surprised that she was finding it real easy to exchange banter with the Songwriter, considering that they weren’t even friends that morning. She kinda liked it.

“There you are Ah-Kun! Been looking for you, old timer!” Korra exclaimed, rushing towards an old man whose face was lined with so many wrinkles, his eyes were almost obscured.

“Krow!” been a long time, my girl” the little old man took Korra into a big hug squeezing her and, wonder of wonders, lifted her off the ground and twirled her around.

Asami thought the scene looked quite adorable.

“And I see you brought a Raven with you?” Ah-Kun said, turning towards Asami. The Dancer tilted her head towards Korra in question.

“Ah-Kun likes to give people pet names. Like, literal pets. I'm supposed to be Krow, ‘coz you know, Korra. And he said I flitted around too much when he first met me. So there. What's with the nickname, old man?” the Songwriter gestured towards Asami.

“Well, I've never seen anyone have lovelier hair like your friend here. Reminds me of a pet bird of mine once. She was also lovely, though not as lovely as this lady” the tuktuk driver said, bowing his head a little towards Asami. 

Asami let out an embarrassed laugh, it seemed like the old men of Ba Sing Se had more game than most of the boys she'd met in her line of work. She stretched out her hand to Ah-Kun “I’m Asami. Nice to meet you, Sir.”

Instead of shaking the hand offered to him, the driver gingerly took it between his own and kissed it. “I am no sir, let me assure you. Very nice to meet you to, Ms.Raven” he said to a blushing Asami.

“Okay, okay, cut it out Ah-Kun, you're embarrassing her” Korra said, laughing while pulling Asami's hand away from the driver. 

“And where shall I take you today, lovely ladies? Ah-Kun asked, laughing delightedly at his antics and mounting his tuktuk.

“The Wet Market!” Korra exclaimed excitedly, helping a grinning Asami into the tuktuk.

“Well then, let's be off!” Ah-Kun hollered once the girls were settled inside.

 

* * *

 

The tuktuk immediately zoomed out of its parking space, speeding away so suddenly that it jolted the girls from their seats. Asami wasn’t able to grab hold immediately and she was thrown from her seat straight into… Korra's lap.

It happened so abruptly that she only realized she was squeezing a very muscular bicep when she heard a nervous clearing of throat from the girl she was currently using as a chair.

“Oh my spirits, sorry, sorry!” Asami said, trying to get off Korra's lap but only succeeding in sinking into Korra further since unbelievably, the tuktuk speeded up some more, once it reached the main streets.

It was careening left and right to avoid pedestrians and Asami could vaguely hear a crazy-sounding cackle over the motorcycle’s noise, along with some frequent swearing. Ah-Kun, it seems, is a road-rager.

The Dancer was trying to find purchase besides the muscular arms belonging to the Songwriter when the tuktuk made a particularly violent turn on a corner.

Asami would’ve hit the tuktuk’s sidewall since she still hasn't found anywhere stable to grip when she felt the same arms she was avoiding snake around her waist. She immediately felt a blush crawl up her neck. She braved a glance at the blue-eyed girl when she saw Korra trying to push her face out of the mess of her hair.

Despite the potentially awkward situation, Asami couldn’t help but let out an unrestrained laugh. Trying her best to get into a stable position, she grabbed a hold of one of the metal bars of the window and did her best to sit up. She then pulled her hair away from Korra while the other girl took big gulps of air “I can breathe again, oh thank the spirits!” she yelled dramatically. 

Asami just laughed harder at the Songwriter's dramatics “Oh shut it, you were never in danger.”

Korra finally settled down, looking up at Asami trying to put up her hair in a messy bun. She had a small grin and unabashedly stared at the beauty on her lap.

Asami noticed the attention and looked away, willing her cheeks not to heat up. “So uhhmm, I’d get off your lap but I'm afraid I’m gonna be tossed outside if I let go” she tried to say over the tuktuk's motor.

“What?” Korra yelled back, her grip on the Dancer's waist unconsciously tightening as she leaned closer to the taller girl's space.

“I said…” Asami started but was interrupted by Korra's “Speak louder, I can't hear you over the noise!”

Asami tried to yell over the wind and the noise but just then, they reached a dirt road of some sort and the motor's din only got louder. She smiled ruefully when she heard a loud whoop of joy on the driver’s side. She bowed low, right into Korra's ear “I said, I can't get off your lap ‘cause then I might be tossed outside the vehicle!”.

Suddenly, the tuktuk jerked, hitting a pothole, wheels on the right rising up slightly. To Asami's mortification, she got jolted into Korra just as she finished talking and her lips fell smack into the smaller girl’s cheek.

She immediately pulled away and noticed to her horror that she left a very red, very full kissmark on the other girl's blushing cheek.

“Oh spirits…” Asami exclaimed. She tried to push away from Korra but she only succeeded in drawing away a couple of inches, lest they topple out of the speeding vehicle and of course, also due to the arms holding her tight.

Korra was blushing furiously under Asami's horrified gaze. They were saved from any further awkwardness when the tuktuk suddenly stopped and they heard Ah-Kun yell “Wet Markeeeettt!!!”

Asami felt like she ran a marathon with how fast her heart was beating. Honestly, she didn’t know if it was because they were just driven by a crazy man or because of the girl still holding her tight. She surmised it must have been the brush with death on the tuktuk from hell, surely it's not because of Korra, _ is it _ ?

“Maybe uhh, we could move now?” Korra said, a bit breathlessly.

“Oh right, let me just…” the Dancer slowly disentangled herself from the Songwriter and got out from the tuktuk. She stretched her limbs gingerly, trying to check if anything was broken. Or sprained, at least. Fortunately, she was fine. She turned just in time to catch Korra move out from the cab and place her feet firmly on the street. She immediately faced the tuktuk driver. “Ah-Kun, you crazy old man! Why'd you go all Vaatu-on-the-road on us suddenly?” she admonished.

Asami had to suppress another embarrassed blushing because she realized Korra still had that kissmark on her cheek. She didn’t know how to tell the other girl though but instead, the old tuktuk driver beat her to it.

“Oh Kro, looks like you haven’t lost your touch with the ladies. Only a few minutes in my cab and you managed to get some!” Ah-Kun said in a loud chortle, causing Asami’s cheeks go from light pink to beet red in a matter of seconds.

“What?!” Korra just looked at the severely blushing Asami to the still guffawing Tuktuk driver. Despite the teasing, Asami pulled herself together enough to close the gap between her and the Songwriter.

“Mmmm.. Here lemme just..” she tried to rub the mark off with her thumb but her lipstick was one of the expensive ones that wouldn't come off easily. And the harder she tried to rub off the mark, the more the red spread on Korra's cheek.

Ah-Kun apparently found this pretty funny and only laughed harder at finding the two women growing more awkward around each other with every passing minute.

Asami felt herself getting hotter by the second, first because of the sheer awkwardness of the situation and second, the proximity to the smaller girl was causing weird flutters in her stomach, quite unlike when she gets jittery before a major performance.

“Oh for the love of…” Asami exclaimed, part embarrassment and part frustration when the lipstick still won’t come off. Since she couldn’t stand the sheer silliness of the moment anymore (and if she was honest with herself, she couldn't stand how she was increasingly losing her poise with every second - Asami Sato was the  _ epitome of poise  _ for spirits' sake!), she sucked her thumb and proceeded to use that finger to wipe away the spirit-cursed lipstick. Luckily, it seemed to work.

It was only then did she notice the songwriter's face. Her eyes were looking at everywhere but hers. Korra was so red at that moment, she closely resembled an over-ripe tomato.

Asami swiped her thumb over the smooth cheek one last time and immediately stepped back from the other girl's space. “There, all gone. Sorry” she said hurriedly.

Korra still seemed unable to speak coherently except to stammer out a muttered “Thanks”.

They were both startled when they heard a loud coughing fit. Apparently, the tuktuk driver's nonstop laughing degenerated into hacking laughs. Korra had to pat his back several times before he got himself under control. They had to wait for him to stop wheezing to make sure he was okay.

“So I guess we're even now, Ah-Kun?” Korra asked the old man who was still bent over, hands on knees, from his coughing episode.

“More than even, Kro. That was one of the best tuktuk rides I’ve ever done. As usual, you don't disappoint!” he wheezed out.

“Great! No offense though, but I will never, ever get inside a tuktuk with you driving again. Ever.” the songwriter said with finality.

“Aw, that hurts Kro, it really does” Ah-Kun put a hand over his heart but grinned widely to let them know that he didn’t take any offense at all.

He turned to Asami and bowed low “Beautiful Raven, call on me if you ever step foot on Middle Ring again, let's have a cup of tea.” And with that, the old man straddled his motorcycle and drove off, but not before hollering “You take care of your Raven, little Kro!”, cranking the tuktuk to speed up and leaving the two in cloud of dust.

 

* * *

 

 

Asami was quick to cover her nose and close her eyes but Korra wasn’t so lucky. There was another coughing fit but this time, it was the Water-Tribe girl coughing out the dust that got into her mouth.

Asami went over and patted her back, much like what the other girl did a while back for the tuktuk driver and after a couple of minutes, Korra was able to breathe normally again.

“Ah-kun is still crazy” she breathed out, voice still raspy from coughing.

“Can I tell you something? Asami asked hesitantly.

“Shoot.”

“Why'd you choose a tuktuk driver who drives like a crazy man when you apparently knew he was crazy to begin with?” Asami queried, hoping silently her question wouldn’t offend her companion.

“Oh, he's not really a tuktuk driver” Korra stated, like it was nothing.

“What?” Asami replied, unbelieving.

“Ah-Kun, he's not really a tuktuk driver.”

“But,” Asami stopped before blurting out “why'd you let him drive us then?” she said, tone indicating that she felt Korra might have a few loose screws too, for pulling that stunt they just went through.

“First rule in the Middle and Outer rings, Asami. Know who's Who. That guy who just drove us here is the current Don. He's like the Man everyone talks to before anyone does anything in here. He’s the Pauper King. We just got his blessing to roam around. Which means, no one's going to bother us if we’re under Ah-Kun's protection.”

Asami just gaped at Korra, trying to process the information. She's heard rumours of the supposed Lower Rings Don. He's apparently the equivalent of the Upper Ring’s Earth Queen. But while the Earth Queen was really descended from royalty, the Don got his “crown” by being the most ruthless kingpin in town.

“And you said you owed him a favor?” Asami gasped, still in a state of shock.

Korra nodded “Yep. He set me up with room and lodging when I first got here. He said I owed him a  _ good time _ . Took me a couple of months to realize that not all they say here is to be taken to heart. Apparently, Ah-Kun's idea of a good time is doing something that can include reckless driving, roof jumping, explosions or kite-flying she explained, ticking off her fingers for every activity on the list.

“Why couldn’t we just have gone kite-flying!” Asami asked exasperatedly, the shock of having met the Pauper King still fresh on her mind.

At that, Korra grinned “It’s autumn, he only goes kite-flying in Spring”.

Asami gaped at her answer. “More importantly, an old man gives you something in exchange for a “good time” and you agree?” she said, unbelievingly.

Korra’s eyes clouded for a moment but the dark expression was gone as soon as it appeared. “I was drunk, and desperate” she  just shrugged. “Anyway, that’s a story for another time” she said lightly.

Asami noticed the other girl’s discomfort and immediately let the matter drop asking instead “So, what’s next?” 

Korra rubbed her hands together excitedly and rocked on the balls of her feet “Now, food!” she exclaimed happily. “Ready?”

Asami just nodded, a bit afraid but at the same time, also excited about what she was about to experience.

She glanced at the blue-eyed girl who was looking at her and that gaze caused another unrestrained thumping in her chest.

“Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!”

With that, the Songwriter took the Dancer’s hand in hers and pulled her into the maze of the Ba Sing Se Outer Ring Wet Market.

  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have any of you guys gone on Tuktuk rides? It's quite an experience. :D


	4. What is with all this blushing?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Korra takes Asami on a wild tour 
> 
> Meet Pabu
> 
> Lunch/Breakfast
> 
> Surfing!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am such a shit. I suck at updating. Anyhoo, since that's the case, i thought "hey, why don't i just make a really long chapter so I wouldn't have to update as much?"
> 
> Didn't work out the way I planned.
> 
> So anyway, expect a dip in quality with the writing (or the even the story) at the later part. I'm sorry. I kinda have this thing where my interest and attention are short-spanned. It sucks. However, I was able to write a really long story at least. I'm hoping you don't abandon it halfway through. But if you do, I can't blame ya. 
> 
> So since I wasn't able to write all the scenes I wanted in this chapter, it might be another two chapters till this fic ends.
> 
> So, let us begin! :D
> 
> Also, again - not beta'ed so i'm sure some grammar and spelling mistakes are aplenty. I can't be bothered to reread it coz it's just soooo longgg
> 
> also, mild trigger warning for mentions of suicide.

Korra was aware of the hand she was holding but she didn’t let go. She knew how easy it was to get lost in the market warrens and she wasn’t about to chance Asami straying from the path.

That didn’t mean she was comfortable with it though. She couldn’t quite wrap her head around how soft the other woman's palm was. Or how her long slender fingers clutched back, making the whole hand-holding experience an unexpected but mutual thing.

She kept on, leading the way, lightly tugging the dancer. She looked back, just to make sure if Asami was okay with the slightly assuming way she took charge.

She caught her breath as soon as her eyes fell upon the raven-haired girl. She knew Asami was gorgeous, knew it the first time she walked into the studio, all elegant and smug. But if she thought that Asami the Ice Queen was beautiful, it was nothing compared to what she was seeing now.

Asami's face was caught in an unguarded expression between delight and wonder, her eyes big and shining. Asami, without her airs up, was breathtaking.

She was looking side to side, as if wanting to take the whole experience in, mouth slightly open in awe and clicking away with her camera.

They were walking under the awnings of Textile Alley. It was where cloth of every kind was hung up on wires, above street level, forming a motley, makeshift ceiling of sorts. The fabrics were dyed in every color, the hues rich and drying under the sun. Textile Alley, if anything, never disappoints the first-time tourist. It was quite literally, a visual feast.

Walking under the various cloths made one feel as if it was another world down on street level. Every two steps, the sunlight reaching the pavement would change color, filtered through the length of the drying fabric. Rolls of cloth of every kind was stacked up on the stall fronts, their rich textures contrasting with the somewhat shabby store exteriors.

Asami was currently under a sepia-toned cloth-shadow right now and it made her green irises pop in vivid contrast. She was running her hands through the cords of cloth dangling from the roof and she had a wide smile adorning her lips.

Korra grinned unabashedly at the other girl's obvious delight. Truth to tell though, Korra was more conscious of the fact that Asami was letting her lead on (hand-holding and all) without any hesitance towards spirits knows where. It made Korra's heart beat unevenly for a couple of seconds. Who knew this day would have her in the company of someone she immediately crushed on at first sight?

She knew she should temper her happiness (she wasn’t even sure if Asami liked girls _that way_ ) but a small part of her wanted to allow this fortuitous albeit temporary lapse in her usually brooding demeanor.

Korra's never been the same since that incident three years ago and even if she’s come out from her hiatus to write Opal's album, there were still days (actually, a majority of her days) when she just wanted to lock herself in a dark corner and let the melancholy take over.

It's happened several times already, and when it does, she usually had to exert a lot of effort to pull herself away from the inevitable dark thoughts of just ending her life.

She knew it was bad for her and she should seek help, but she just couldn’t find time for it. Iroh helps a lot when it happens, but she worries that the old man won’t always be there.

She was just glad that this day, she was out and about and out with a pretty girl to boot. Korra figures she should enjoy the time while it lasts.

She was pulled from her thoughts when she noticed the girl she was leading has stopped and was staring at something.

Korra walked over to where Asami was peering over someone's shoulder and let out a chuckle at what she saw. Two very big, very round eyes were looking back at them, claws clutching at a branch someone nailed into one of the wooden stall walls.

“You like? I give you big discount!” a heavily accented voice startled the two girls from looking eye to eye with the creature. The animal continued staring at them for a couple more seconds before scampering higher up its branch. Korra only just noticed the chain attached to a collar on its neck.

Korra turned to face the speaker. “We were just looking”, she said, but was vaguely surprised when Asami spoke at the same time “How much?”

Korra saw the merchant's eyes squint in greedy assessment before turning to Asami and completely ignoring her.

“For you, beautiful lady, I give very good discount, not even a good price for me. But this one” the merchant said with an overly dramatic sigh, clutching at his chest, “loves little Pabu and wants him to have good home, not a branch on the market, eh?” The merchant moved as if to wipe an eye, making a very good impression of someone about to cry.

Korra saw one of the man's workers smile slyly, perhaps anticipating a good sale, confident of his boss' ability to salestalk an unsuspecting tourist.

“How much?” Asami repeated again, completely ignoring the merchant and still looking at the little creature. It was looking back at her with large, somber eyes.

“5000 yuan! Oh… my heart hurts!” The merchant howled dramatically, as if trying to drown out the exorbitant price he just stated with his dramatics.

Korra gasped internally. 5000 yuan! That was enough to live on for a fortnight, if you knew what you were doing! She was about to argue the price, looking to Asami so she can at least motion for her to let her handle the transaction. To her dread though, she saw the dancer start nodding, looking like she was about to answer in affirmative “Oka… Korra, what are you?!?”

She dragged the dancer a couple of steps away so she can prevent Asami from answering impulsively, without at least doing some haggling- to the annoyed huff of the merchant who was also currently giving Korra the evil eye.

The Songwriter lowered her voice so as not to be overheard, but not before giving the merchant what she hoped was a menacing glare.

“Asami, what are you doing? That's enough to buy us a week of food, if we’re say, a family of five and there’d be enough for a couple more days!” Korra gesticulated wildly, trying to make up for her lowered voice.

Asami looked at her incredulously. “Is that all you can think about? Food? How about little Pabu there, chained to a dead branch on a wall, doomed to spend his life watching passersby, wasting away in desperation and desolation?” she cried, not bothering to lower her voice, punctuating every other word with a poke to Korra's chest.

 

Korra's eyes got bigger and bigger and by the time Asami's tirade was over, she couldn’t decide whether to gape in incredulity at the other girl's naivety or laugh out loud at the sheer seriousness of Asami's expression, especially considering she was talking about throwing away a whole lot of yuans for a critter not worth a tenth of the quoted amount. She decided on doing the latter.

She let out a very loud, very obnoxious guffaw. She was still laughing out loud, the kind of laugh that got stuck in the throat and wouldn’t come out unless one accompanied it with either uncontrolled coughing or very loud cackling.

However, her conscious mind slowly took over when she really looked at the Dancer. Her boisterous laughter got quieter and quieter the more she observed her companion (whose right eyebrow was now arched high whilst her left eye was squinting so hard, she can barely make out the green iris, brows furrowed in utmost annoyance) until it got choked off and fizzled into a very small giggle that got cut off midway.

“Uh, Asami, are you okay?” Korra braved to ask tentatively.

The green-eyed Dancer let out an annoyed hiss of breath between her teeth. To Korra, the action looked similar to what a BullMoose would do right before it charged.

“I really don’t think this is a laughing matter.” Asami let out through gritted teeth.

Korra immediately put up her palms, trying to appease her companion.

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry I laughed. It's just.. You’re just..” she fumbled with the words, thinking of a better way to phrase what she found funny and what she wanted to say to Asami without making herself look like an uncaring glutton further.

“We could buy the Slow Loris…” she stopped when Asami cocked her head in question “Pabu, it's a Slow Loris, native to the swamplands in the west, at a tenth of the price Greed-o the Merchant here is charging us.” She finished, watching in satisfaction as Asami's ire visibly changed target as soon as she explained how much the animal really cost.

“What?” Asami let out in a huff, half in disbelief, half in annoyance – at herself or at the merchant, Korra didn’t know. But she nodded to Asami's unspoken query.

“Yep, he's not worth that much. An Outer Ring family of five can live comfortably on 5000yuans in two weeks and still have some to spare if they know how to spend it wisely. I know it's not an issue for you to spend that much, but here, you can’t just go around showing people obvious signs of wealth. Otherwise, you become a target, Ah-Kun’s blessing or not. And knowing him, he’d think it served us right being ripped off because we weren’t careful. Here in the Outer Ring, we go by and survive using street smarts, those without… well, go back to the Inner Rings with their purses or worse, cut off.”

Korra shrugged, thankful that Asami let her explain uninterrupted.

The other girl was looking at her, eyes no longer flashing, expression bashful.

“I’m sorry. I… I should have let you talk first instead of being indignant. I..uh…I’m not used to not getting what I want. I should have considered the place and the circumstance first, and trusted you.”

 

Korra considered the Dancer, she was looking at her feet now, obviously ashamed. “Hey, Asami, look.” Korra waited until the dancer met her eyes with her own.

“I know my way around here, lived here for three years. If you want that critter freed, I could buy him. Just leave the haggling to me okay?” she ended with a smile to indicate she harbored no hard feelings.

She was rewarded with a grateful smile. To Korra, it looked as if sun rays peeked through storm clouds. Asami's beauty really was breathtaking. She momentarily lost her train of thought and was snapped out of it when Asami called her name twice.

“Oh, sorry, spaced out there for a coupl'a seconds” Korra said, looking away quickly to hide the dusting of a blush on her cheeks. She couldn’t figure it why she was blushing so much, it was like she’s turning into a lovestruck teen.

She squared her shoulders then and put on her EarthNation Outer Ring face, acquired and perfected – under duress - during her time in the Outer Ring slums, some two years ago.

Even Asami looked to be taken aback by her unexpected transformation. Where before stood a carefree, happy go lucky twenty-something, now stood a completely different, seemingly formidable stranger.

Korra walked toward the merchant, who was currently loudly berating one of his workers. When he turned to the woman in front of him though, he quickly lost his cocky smile and looked towards Asami, perhaps still hoping to manipulate the negotiation with her.

Korra cleared her throat though, and spoke with quiet confidence. “Look, I know you're trying to make a profit, everybody here is. But that doesn’t excuse your unbelievably exorbitant price. We can do the pretense of the long, tiring business of going back and forth between ourselves, haggling, but I’m hungry and I don’t want to waste my time. So why don’t you sell the Loris to us at a closer to reasonable price and we'll get out of your face and quit bothering you forever, how does that sound?” Korra punctuated the statement with a slow raise of her left eyebrow, not giving up the staring contest she was currently having with the shady seller.

“As I said, the going rate for Pabu is 5000 yuan. But since you're asking so nicely, I might be willing to part with him for a meager price of 4000yuan.” The Merchant shot back, losing his heavy accent, perhaps realizing Korra wasn’t going to fall for it.

“Still not good enough, old man, why don’t we drop the jokes huh? 900yuan and that’s it!”

The Merchant’s eyes bugged out at that before he let out a derisive-sounding belly laugh, slapping his considerable tummy.

Korra just stood her ground, arms crossed over chest and patiently waiting for the Merchant to finish laughing.

Asami was getting more worried by the second, since she spotted the merchant's workers edging nearer to them. Actually, some of the people walking near the trio have stopped and were watching the exchange with interest.

The merchant finally stopped laughing, chortling in between breaths. It seemed he really did find Korra's offer very hilarious.

“That is the best joke I’ve heard in ten years my friend” he said, still wheezing from his laughing session. “Because of that, that will be 1000yuan off of my last offer, 3000yuan for you!”

“500yuan and we're good.” Korra said, unfazed, tapping her foot like she was impatient to get the transaction over with.

“What?!?!” the merchant sputtered, spittle flying as he opened and closed his mouth in incredulous disbelief at Korra’s sheer bravado.

“I am supposed to be the one going lower, not you!” he pointed indignantly at Korra.

“400yuan or we don’t have a deal” Korra said, looking at her nails like she was idly considering to have them manicured after the transaction.

“No! No deal!”

By now, the merchant’s face was as red as a tomato trying to contain his ire but for all his bluster, Asami observed that Korra remained as cool as Aang inside the iceberg, or whatever that saying meant.

That was only until the merchant spotted Asami then he directed his temper at her, since Korra apparently looked like she won’t be swayed by all the merchant's bluster.

“YOU!” he pointed an accusing finger at Asami, “you started this!” he wagged the finger he was pointing at her with and started to march towards her.

Asami didn’t know whether to run or defend herself. In any case, she decided on the former and speed walked towards Korra, hiding behind the relative safety of the Songwriter's broad back.

The merchant looked like he was going to give chase but stopped abruptly when he realized he was going to face off against the very muscular Korra, whose expression clearly looked like she was daring him to continue.

The merchant wisely stopped in his tracks and looked around for his workers, hoping to get some back up. For some reason though, his employees all looked to have vanished amongst the audience that have gathered to watch the not-so-everyday occurrence.

Finally, the Merchant decided he's had enough, “Enough. No deal. I’m not selling” he huffed.

Korra walked towards him “we both know you’re in possession of an unlicensed, endangered Loris. Either you sell him to us, or maybe tomorrow, you’ll find some Dai'li “randomly” dropping by for a talk.” She said this quietly and with such certainty that even if the Merchant didn’t believe her, he still would’ve been obligated to give the poor Slow Loris up. That didn’t stop him from making one last ditch effort though. “Nobody cares about licenses here, little girl, this is the Outer Ring, everything here is unlicensed!” he said, puffing his chest.

 

“Fine! If that’s what you want. I guess we'll just have to buy little Pabu here with a song” Korra huffed.

The Merchant's eyes bugged out. “What did you say your name was again, Miss?”

“Well, my friends call me Korra, but around here, I’m known as Krow.”

“But, why didn’t you say so in the first place?!?” the Merchant let out a loud bellow. “Spirits, who would’ve thought I’d be graced by the Krow today? Such fortune!” he said, motioning for someone in the crowd to help get the Loris from the branch it was sitting on.

Asami gaped at Korra, now shaking the merchant’s hand, as if they weren’t having a row a few minutes ago. The bizarre transaction was as surreal as the this whole adventure she was experiencing.

She was jolted from her thoughts when someone shoved a furry face into her line of view, dark, big eyes looking at her solemnly. She took Pabu from the merchant’s worker, holding the Slow Loris gingerly, like it might bite any moment.

“Need any help with that?” a jovial voice beside her said.

She was still holding the Slow Loris as far away from her body as possible when she turned her head to address Korra (who seemed like she was holding back a laugh).

“Don’t we get a cage at least?” she queried.

“What? You insist on letting a critter out of a chain only to have it caged?” Korra raised her brows, but the tone she used was light, indicating that she was joking.

“Oh, I wasn’t… that wasn’t what I wanted” Asami said, looking guilty. “it’s just, I haven’t had a pet before, I don’t know how to handle animals.”

“Here, let me” Korra grinned.She took Pabu from Asami. She immediately raised the little Loris into the air and sang “AHHHH SAY HENYAAAA BABA BEE SE BABAAAAA, SAY HENYYAAAAAA…. HUMMMMMMMM”.

 

Asami immediately giggled at how Korra was being so silly. Pabu just looked bored. “Good one! I loved the Lemur-Lion King when I was a kid, used to dance to the songs all the time” she laughed.

Korra smiled lopsidedly and let Pabu settle on her shoulders. Since it was one of the few times she didn’t have her headphones, the Slow Loris immediately settled on a comfortable crouch, wrapping his tail on Korra's neck. The Singer waited for the critter to adjust its seat and walked on, after giving a small wave to the Merchant.

Asami followed, figuring Korra really is the best guide for a tourist in the Outer Ring.

“So, what was that all about?” Asami asked, as soon as they were a few meters away not to be overheard.

“That, my friend, is Outer Ring haggling” Korra answered, not looking back from where she was walking ahead of the dancer, obscuring the view ahead.

“So, do I get to know what a “song” means? Or is that also some obscure jargon you Outer Ring people are privy to?” Asami made sure her voice was teasing, so Korra wouldn’t think she was demanding information she might not want to share.

Korra looked back at her, cerulean eyes shining with mischief and smile wide, excitement palpable.

“I’ll tell you later. Right now, food!”

She moved to the side. The view, which was covered by the Singer's broad back revealed, and Asami gasped in wonder. At the back of her mind, she couldn’t believe how lucky she is to have a day like the one she was spending right now, surprise and something new, greeting her at every corner. All because she had the good fortune to run into the girl at her side who was giving her an unabashed expression of joy.

She smiled back at Korra, before directing her attention to the wet market food section.

Everywhere she looked was food of different colors, shapes and sizes and scents!

There, a sizzle of what read as ground pork and innards (on the banner). Eww, _innards_. The smell tickled the nose, seemingly saying “eat my pork and everything else in here”. She snapped a photo just as the man with a giant wok tossed the contents into the air, the flame and the pan leaping up to catch it back.

Here, various grilled meat, insects, tofu and vegetables on sticks adorned a raised metal platform. The din of some Street urchins buying and pointing to what they wanted whilst the harried seller was shouting back at them was amazing. Asami took a photo as a little girl no bigger than her waist took a bite out of three meat sticks. The little girl noticed Asami and smiled, still chewing her mouthful. Asami grinned in response.

They passed a sign and all at once, the smells changed from meaty to tangy and sweet. They have reached the fruit section. Korra looked back at her and shouted “We're coming back here later for shakes!”.

Asami peered into the alley and true enough, there were numerous signs in front of the stalls indicating that fruit shakes of every flavor can be had. She snapped another picture just as Pabu snatched a small grape hanging near his head.

Korra was leading them deeper into the warren and the smell changed again, it became sweeter, an almost overwhelming scent of butter permeating the area.

She closed her eyes and lifted her nose into the air, she could also still discern a tangy scent of fruit mixed in, strawberries, blueberries, honey and maple syrup?

She was jolted out of her olfactory inspection when she heard Korra's VERY excited “WE’RE HERE!”

Asami opened her eyes to see Korra almost jumping in place, her excitement _thrumming_ through the very air.

“PANCAKES!!!” Korra fist pumped into the air. She seemed to belatedly realize she just did something childish and her cheeks immediately turned crimson in embarrassment.

Asami was so caught up in Korra's obvious enthusiasm for pancakes, she let out a belly laugh. “Pancakes? For lunch?” she said teasingly.

Korra's cheeks were still tinted pink but she seemed to sense that Asami didn’t mean anything by her laughing. “Well, I still havent had breakfast. And yeah. Nobody ever mandated that pancakes are to be eaten only on breakfast. And come on, we're adults now! We can do what we want, live our lives with our own decisions. And if anybody doesn’t agree with that, they just have to deal with it!” she said, punctuating her last statement by gently taking Pabu's paw and raising it high. Pabu didn’t seem to mind.

Asami chuckled, thinking the other girl's attitude was really quite refreshing and if she was honest with herself, really quite fetching. She didn’t know what to think of that thought yet. She was never attracted to girls in the past. She couldn’t have suddenly started to like one now, right… _right_? As confusing as the thoughts she were having at the moment, they didn’t quite demand the majority of her attention as Korra's longing expression did. She was licking her lips, looking towards the stalls.

Asami cleared her throat, trying to convince herself that the dryness of it was because of the Ba Sing Se heat, and not because of the sight of Korra's tongue wetting her lower lip. “Ahem. So. Uhh, what now?”

Korra seemed to notice that she was just standing there, amidst all the pancake stalls so she hurriedly took Asami's hand and pulled her to a random bench. As soon as she sat down, she hurriedly blurted out her order to one of the order-takers.

“One blueberry-honey, one cactus-orange delight and a choco-chip cluster please.”

She looked to Asami and raised her brows.

“Oh. Uh. I don’t know what they serve here?” Asami stated, trying to look for any sign of a menu, and looking at the waiter, if he was going to offer her one, when she didn’t find any.

“Just order what kind of pancake you liked as a kid, they'll have it.” Korra shrugged.

“Uh. I never really ate pancakes when I was kid.” She said, a bit embarrassed when the Songwriter’s eyes became round in disbelief.

“What?!? But this is like, the best kid food ever, heck, it's the best adult” she pointed to herself “or semi-adult, at least, food ever! Okay, nevermind, I, your awesome, super-duper outer-ring guide, will order for you. Is that okay?” Korra asked, her disbelief turning into excitement, as if she couldn’t wait to order for Asami.

“Okay” Asami smiled. Her relief at Korra not wanting to pry as to why she didn’t have pancakes when she was young might have been obvious, because the other girl just gave her a soft smile and turned to the waiter.

“Okay, we have a first timer here, so I think we're gonna start her with the chocolate-caramel-orange pancake, with a side of fresh strawberries. She grinned at the waiter to signal that that was what they were going to order for the moment.

“No way do they have that flavor, you just made that up.”

Korra turned her cerulean eyes to her companion and shook her head. “Don’t argue. Just you wait till you taste it and you'll know that the knowledge of The greatest Ba Sing Se Tour Guide is not to be questioned” she said with a scoff. Pabu chirped as if to help punctate her claim.

Asami chuckled. She can’t remember the last time she's had this much fun.

She took a picture of the two, perfectly capturing Korra grabbing a couple of forks from one of the cutlery holders (they were just mugs with forks scattered across the tables) and Pabu trying to grab one too.

Now that they were settled, she took more notice of her surroundings. They were seated on a long bench, facing several large metal sheets. She supposed these were where they cooked the pancakes. At that moment, the waiter who took their order came back with three large bowls. He settled the bowls on a table beside a metal sheet and began pouring. And pouring. And mixing. On the sheet itself. Asami’s eyes grew large when she realized each pancake was the size of a very large plate, about an inch thick. She looked towards Korra with incredulous eyes only to find the darker girl grinning at her.

“Awesome, right?!” the Songwriter was practically vibrating with anticipation.

“And you ordered three of those!” Asami couldn’t keep the wonder from her voice.

“ONLY three. I don’t want to ruin my appetite!” Korra's eyes twinkled as she eyed the batter greedily.

In no time at all, the two women were served their pancakes.

Asami took a bite from her platter-sized pancake and she had to close her eyes in order to relish the burst of flavor. It was like a fluffy party of sweet and tangy burst in her mouth and she couldn’t help but moan in enjoyment.

She opened her eyes to Korra who was eyeing her, with a slight blush on her cheeks.

She realized what her moan sounded like. She should’ve been embarrassed but the food and especially the girl keeping her company were too good an experience. She only shrugged and took a bite of her pancake again, grinning.

Korra dug into hers with gusto. Her pancakes were slathered with syrup – honey, blueberry and for the choco cluster, whipped cream topped with a maraschino cherry. Korra kept stuffing her mouth, looking like the end of the world was just around the corner and that she was eating her last meal.

In fairness to Asami, she tried to keep up. And succeeded, ¾ into her pancake. She decided she couldn’t eat more without bursting. But the pancake was _that_ good. She never had a strong appetite, this may be the most she's eaten in one sitting. She was rubbing her belly, eyes closed when a voice interrupted her food coma. “Can I have the rest of that?”

She opened her eyes to blue ones looking at her pleadingly. She let out a laugh. “Oh my spirits, Korra! You've already finished three while I can barely eat one!”. She pushed her pancake to the girl who was already eyeing it greedily, fork at the ready.

“I canf helfp ith, I’m a grofwing girl! And I’f got a fasth metabolithm!” Korra said whilst chewing, gaze not straying from Asami's leftovers.

Asami just stared at the darker girl until she finished the rest of the pancake, licking some caramel off her fingers, not bothering to hide her amusement.

 

They finished with Korra slumping on her bench and moaning, rubbing her tummy. “That was intense”. She then released a loud belch. “Sorry” she said, not looking like she was sorry at all.

“Don’t be, that was a very good belch.” Asami said, a smile on her lips.

“Thanks” Korra said, patting her still-flat belly, causing Asami's gaze to rove over it. A six-pack's outline was visible through the Songwriter's tight shirt. Asami gulped. To her embarrassment, it seemed Korra caught her gaze. The Songwriter smirked. Asami tried to cover for her slip in subtlety.

“Uhh. Seems like you’re developing a paunch already” she fibbed.

“What?!? I am not!” Korra sputtered in indignance.

Asami just laughed in response to the other girl's vanity. “So, where next?”

Korra was pouting but visibly perked up at the question. “Oh, we're getting fruit shakes from Fruit Alley then we're heading surfing.”

 

Asami paused from paying long enough to raise an eyebrow in question. “Surfing? I’ve never heard of an inland body of water big enough in Ba Sing Se.”

Korra smiled mysteriously. “You’ll just have to wait and see.”

 

—

 

The “Beach” was located near the Rambutree Oasis. It wasn’t a very big oasis, and it definitely didn’t have enough water to be considered as a beach, let alone be somewhere where it could have waves to be surfed on.

Asami looked around in confusion when they got down from the tuktuk. Korra was humming, holding a paper bag containing their fruit shakes. She still refused to say where they were going though.

Asami got more confused when she spotted people in bikinis carrying surfboards. The boards looked smaller from what she knew was the normal size and didn’t have the usual fins but Korra was still keeping mum about the whole thing. Pabu had his head raised, from his spot on Korra's shoulder, big eyes wide and curious.

Asami reached out to stroke his head and accidentally touched Korra's cheek. It shouldn’t mean anything but Asami felt electricity crawl up from her fingers to her face. For the nth time that day, she blushed. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. Luckily, Korra seemed unaffected since she looked to be trying to find something or someone from the few people reclining under the shade of the palm trees scattered about.

 

“Hey ‘Sami, come here for a bit” she said, leading the Dancer to a very pretty older woman (late 30s?) who was wearing a bikini top. She was lying on a hammock strung up between two palms.

The woman let out a toothy smile when she saw them approaching.

“Korra, darling, long time no see” she said, hopping out of the hammock and threading her arms around Korra’s waist. Before the Songwriter could do anything, the other woman leaned in and kissed her soundly. Asami even spotted a bit of tongue, the newcomer licking Korra's bottom lip before leaning back and raising an eyebrow at Asami.

“New girl I see. Is that why you haven’t been coming here often anymore?”

For some reason, Asami felt the hair on the back of her neck stand. She was uncomfortable for the first time that day, her chest constricting as an unknown emotion caused her to squint her eyes at the new woman. She kept silent, deciding to let Korra answer the question. She turned her green gaze towards the Songwriter, face impassive.

Korra looked surprised and flustered and embarrassed at the same time.

“Azula” she said, trying to pull away from the other woman’s grip on her waist. Once she was free, she made a stern face at the newcomer.

“What the hell, Zu? I didn’t come here for that! Sheesh” she turned to Asami with an apologetic expression.

To their surprise, the woman being addressed just laughed out loud. “Oh Krow, such a killjoy. I was just having fun with you.”

“Well you didn’t have to do that” Korra said grumpily.

Asami still didn’t say anything, watching the exchange with her lips pursed. She was trying very hard not to pout all-out, especially when the woman didn’t relinquish her hold on the Songwriter and just threw an arm over Korra's shoulder companionably. Clearly this Azula was close(?) to Korra. She didn’t know what to feel about it. But the strongest emotion in her chest right now was to throw some sand into the woman's face and suckerpunch her while she was incapacitated.

Whilst Asami was surprised with how violent (and confusing, how _confusing_!) her thoughts were getting, she at least tried her utmost not to let these show on her face.

But it seems Azula wasn’t fooled though. She just raised a seemingly mocking eyebrow at Asami and studied her quietly, a smile on her lips.

There was an unnamed tension in the air, and the three were quiet for a few seconds until it was broken by Korra clearing her throat. “Uhhm Zu, I’m here for uh some clothes and some sunblock, if you have it.”

Azula's gaze lingered on Asami for a couple of seconds more, with the younger girl returning the stare with a fierce glare of her own.

“I have everything, Krow, you should know that by now. Aren’t you going to introduce me to your pretty friend?” she said, her hand on Korra's shoulder playing with the Songwriter's errant wisps of hair.

“Oh, Azula, this is Asami. Asami, meet Zu, Queen of the Beach.”

“Queen Bitch, actually” Azula said, still wearing a smile.

Asami wanted nothing more but to smack the smug smile off of the older woman's face (what was with her playing with Korra's hair?) but she was nothing if not cordial. “Very nice to meet you”. Her flat voice didn’t quite match what she said. She was startled from her internal thoughts of possibly throttling the woman ( _where_ were these thoughts coming from?) when Azula released a very loud guffaw.

She was slapping her thigh, laughing about something she apparently found very hilarious leaving Korra and Asami to look at each other with clueless expressions.

Finally, Azula's laughs petered out. “Sorry, I'm just messing with you Asami, I wouldn’t dream of stealing Korra away from you, you looked like you were ready to throttle me!” she said, still chuckling.

At this, Asami turned a shade of red like she spent the afternoon under the desert sun and when she discreetly side glanced at Korra, she was at least a bit relieved to find the other girl was actually blushing as hard as her. It took her a few moments to realize that they both didn’t deny anything against Azula's statement. Asami started to, or at least attempted to when Korra spoke up. “Zu, stop joking around, it's embarrassing” she said, shrugging Azula’s arm from her shoulder. “We're just…. friends!”

Asami nodded her head to agree but she noticed her heart clench a bit with how careless the word “friends” sounded when Korra said it. As if it didn’t mean anything. But she was right. They _were_ just… friends and new ones at that. Nothing more.

Azula raised an inquisitive eyebrow. “Okay. If you say so, hotshot. So, clothes and sunblock. I assume boards too? And a bag?” she looked to Korra and the other girl nodded confirmation. “Come little Krow.” She looked upwards slyly, a finger on her chin, then spoke like she was thinking out loud. “I guess if you two are just _friends_ then there’s absolutely nothing stopping me from doing this, is there?”. And with that, she linked her arm through Korra's and marched her towards the palm trees, leaving Asami to follow and unconsciously storm through their wake.

 

 

 

“Hey, sorry about that, Azula's quite the… _character_ ” Korra said, peering through her bangs at Asami who was silently walking beside her. The Songwriter was carrying two boards, a big bag (apparently consisting of a blanket, pillows, sunblock and clothes) and their fruitshakes. She refused to let Asami carry anything. Pabu immediately scurried over to Tylee, seeing as the older woman had stocks of fruit in her tent. They would get the little critter later.

“It's okay. You did nothing wrong” the tall Dancer answered quietly.

Korra listened for the Dancer to continue but Asami just stayed quiet throughout their short trek upwards the sand dunes bordering the oasis. Korra was sure she offended the other girl somehow but she wasn’t sure what she did to make Dancer angry.

What made the situation harder was that Asami's expression was just stoic. Korra couldn’t make anything out of her indifferent face. But the thing that gave the other girl away was her silence.

The whole time they’ve been together, Asami was either laughing or chuckling at her inane jokes. Heck she would even go as far as to say they’ve both been chuckling at what seemed like nothing for most of their duration together.

But since Azula, the girl has been quiet and talked only when asked- and even then, it would only be a few words at most. Quiet Asami was the Asami she saw for the first time in the studio – aloof, untouchable and out of her league.

Korra was getting frustrated. She didn’t know what to say or do to make it better. Fortunately, they came to the edge of the sand dune rise and immediately below was the “Beach”.

Asami couldn’t stifle her gasp of awe at the view. The depression on the other side of the rise gave way ti countless other dunes, majestic and rising to a point. The sand peaks and their sides gracefully curving at the edges, literally like waves. Perfect, gigantic waves of sand. And people were _sand_ _surfing_ on them.

It was unnerving but at the same time exhilarating to watch these people push off from a dune's apex and “surf” all the way to the bottom. Surprisingly, some were already very skilled at the activity, speeding downwards while they performed complex tricks on their boards before they reached the bottom. She could hear the other ‘surfers’ and idlers hollering encouragement and some scattered clapping at the tricks. The whole… sport looked death-defying. Asami couldn’t wait to try it. Even if _she had only surfed once in her life_.

“The winds come at night” Korra spoke quietly. “Locals call them the ‘Howlers'. They get so violent that they whip up and carve the sands in their frenzy. By morning, the winds change direction and you get these waves of sand for a whole day. Every day, you get a different vista, but there are always wave formations here. The sands are the finest you’ll ever find anywhere. The ancestors of the original Outer Ring settlers have been surfing these since time immemorial and they’ve called it the Beach ever since.”

Asami looked at the girl beside her and realized guiltily that she made Korra uncomfortable with her unexpected and silent tantrum. She didn’t even know why she was angry when all the other girl has done was accompany her on this unexpected but thoroughly welcome adventure. She didn’t know how to apologize though.

How can she say she was sorry for something she couldn’t even understand? She certainly didn’t want to say she's sorry she hates Korra's friend. She didn’t know what it was that made her suddenly clamp up at seeing Korra with someone else. And she didn’t want to tell Korra _that_. But she had to do something to amend her bad behaviour.

So she faced the other girl and told her in her most sincere voice, “Thank you, Korra”.

Korra looked at the girl beside her then. There was something in that voice. And when her blue eyes met the other’s emerald ones, there was an unnamed emotion there.

“This is turning out into one of the best days I've ever had in a long time” Asami said with genuine gratitude and a smile she hoped would express her apology to the Songwriter.

Korra just smiled lopsidedly back at her, somehow wordlessly conveying that she accepts the unspoken apology.

She tilted her head to the side, indicating they start walking. “Let’s set up first and rest, the sun is still too high, I don’t think your skin can take it. You can put sunblock in the meantime and we can drink our fruit shakes.”

They settled their blankets under the shade of a palm cluster, like most of the people there. They were located still at the Oasis edge, overlooking the Sand waves below.

The two took their seats, though Korra chose to flop on her back and close her eyes. “I’ve missed this” she said, a small smile playing on her lips.

Asami was grateful for Korra being considerate enough to get her sunblock, she herself wouldn’t even have thought to bring one. And once again, she marveled how she hasn’t met anyone like the Songwriter before.

She was a study in contrasts, confident and at times impatient, but sometimes, Asami couldn’t help but see the shy, gentle soul peek through the bravado. Korra seemed like the type of person who can move with the rest of the socialites of the inner rings with ease, but at the same time, she can barrel through the Outer Ring without any fear of repercussions or misstep. She was also unconsciously intelligent, spouting trivia and history with genuine enthusiasm and interest.

What Asami really likes about Korra is that despite the seemingly very proud (bordering on brash) exterior, she's also very considerate.

It's the little things. Like how she noticed Korra walking under the palms providing maximum shade on the way ti where they currently were. She didn’t think it was because the other girl feared what the sun might do to her skin, because she certainly didn’t mind walking underneath it, but more than likely, she knew Asami's wouldn’t fare good.

She confirmed her suspicion when Korra bought her the sunblock.

Again, she recalled spying Korra handing the pancake waiter a roll of a hundred Yuan bills. To which the waiter accepted with a bow and a very grateful smile.

It was even in the way Korra kept handing Pabu snacks in the form of small fruits and even some pancake when they were both eating.

Asami didn’t know she was smiling to herself at the thoughts until she heard the other girl.

“What are you so happy about?” Korra said, handing her her fruit shake.

“Oh uh, nothing. I just realized I’m having a real vacation this time. Usually I still spend my vacation time working, so...” she shrugged, breathing a silent sigh of relief at having had an instant answer and took a sip of her drink.

Once again, she was surprised at the delicious burst of flavor in her mouth. She supposed she shouldn’t be surprised anymore, the day's been nothing but pleasant surprise upon pleasant surprise (except the Azula episode, but she put that on the back of her mind unwilling to let it ruin any more of her day).

“Wow, what is this?” she said, sipping some more juice.

“It’s a Sunrise Sky” Korra said, waving her hand at the drink.

“What's in it? It's surprisingly good.”

“Oh, well , fruits that are the colors of sunrise, you’ve got your watermelon, dragon fruit, papaya, mango, berry and uhhh. Uhm. A bit of Cactus juice” a bit of a guilty flush on her cheeks at the mention of the last ingredient.

Asami almost spit out her drink at the mention of Cactus juice. It was banned in some parts of the world because it was a very strong hallucinogen. “Cactus juice?!?!” she sputtered.

Korra sat up and smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of her neck. “Don’t worry, they only put a spoonful in there, you won’t even taste it. It’s just enough to help the flavors blend in together. Promise!” Korra put up both her hands, palms out, assuring Asami of the juice's safety and reaching for hers and taking a long sip, just to show the Dancer she was telling the truth.

Asami's eyebrow rose a bit but after a while, she took a sip again. “Okay, I trust you. As Iong as it won’t affect my better judgement. Anyway, potentially dangerous liquor mix aside, this is really, really good” she said punctuating the statement with another sip from her straw.

“Yeah. Only Cactus juice can make the fruits blend in so well. It’s got that unique property, along with the many other dubious ones” Korra smiled, sitting up properly and propping a pillow on her back looking at the surfers below “Wanna know a secret tho? The Songwriter had an impish smile on her face.

“Shoot.”

“They put Cactus juice on everything here. And I mean everything.”

“You’re shitting me” Asami said, eyebrows high in disbelief.

“Nope.” Korra crossed her heart. “It’s a local secret. So keep mum about it or the Dai’li would have me killed.”

The girls laughed out loud at that, settling further into their comfy positions.

“Oh, uhhm, since we're resting…. Can you tell me what a ‘song' is now?” Asami said, a hopeful lilt in her voice.

“Oh, well…” Korra propped put her hands at the back of her head, and reclined, looking at the Dancer. Asami couldn’t help but eye the bulging muscles discreetly.

“When I moved here three years ago, I had no street smarts and useful skills whatsoever. It got to the point where I had to beg for food and even most days, my stomach had to go empty.

So I reluctantly resorted to what I knew most, writing and singing songs. I busked about everything, a girl I saw walking on the street, the dog chasing a cat on the bend, an old lady crying on the bench. Silly songs, mostly. Turns out it was the best thing that could happen.

The locals, it seems, are very superstitious. It's in their beliefs that one's spirit dissipates after death if the person it belongs to is not immortalized in a work of art. And people paid money for it. That’s why they hold artists – singers, dancers, artisans, writers in very high regard. Because their art is the key to heaven. At least, in the old Ba Sing Se religion- which is still pretty prevalent with the Outer Ring folks.

It's how I met Ah-Kun, actually. Word got around that I wrote and sang songs. And here, the better and more beautiful the art, the more chances of your spirit transcending to heaven. Uhhmm apparently they considered me the best singer around..” at this, Korra ducked her head, seemingly bashful for something she didn’t need to be bashful about. (Asami thought the action looked adorable).”

“So uhh. There. Basically I'm getting the Merchant's slimy ass into heaven with one of my songs ‘coz I paid for Pabu with what basically counts for immortality in these parts” Korra cleared her throat and sipped her fruit shake, like she didn’t want to talk anymore.

“Wow. That’s quite a story.” Asami adjusted her seat, so she could sit beside Korra, their knees touching. If she felt uncomfortable, she didn’t show it. “I believe them.”

“Huh?” Korra looked at her questioningly.

“I said I believe them. When you said they thought you're the best singer here.”

Korra gave her a doubtful look. “I don’t think you’ve even heard me sing. I mean, you’ve heard my songs, but I haven’t sung to you yet.”

“I heard you, when I was looking for the Jade Dragon. In the street. There was so much noise but your voice carried through and led me to you. It was.. Your song.. It was beautiful and sung magnificently too.” Asami turned to look at the sand dunes then, aware that she was blushing (what is with all this blushing?!?!).

She heard a quiet “Thanks” beside her but she kept from looking at the other girl, thinking something would give her away. Give away what, she wasn’t sure. But there was definitely something starting between her and Korra, she could feel it too – from The Songwriter’s telltale glances to the lingering touches, there _was_ something there.

They sat companionably for a while, content to sip their shakes and watch the Surfers perform their tricks. Asami was drowsing when she heard a quiet voice beside her speak.

“Three years ago, I came here to hide”. The Dancer settled her green gaze at Korra, silently encouraging her to continue.

“I… caused one of my fans to commit suicide” she whispered. Asami gasped, she didn’t know the issue with Korra but she was willing to hear the rest of the story. She tentatively touched the Songwriter's hand, signaling that she wanted to listen and in some way, didn’t want to pass judgement, but instead, sympathy. It was clear that it was pretty hard for the Songwriter to continue, Asami saw that she was clenching her jaw. But she squared her shoulders and grasped Asami's hand unconsciously.

“It was the peak of my career, I had just won 7 Grammys that night and we were headed to the after party. There was a girl in the crowd calling my name. I didn’t even want to go near her, drunk as I was on my victory but I was obligated to by my PR team, gotta keep up appearances, you know.

Anyway, I went near the girl. She said she's listened to my works ever since and that it got her through some tough patches in her life. She gave me a CD of her own compositions. That kind of pissed me off, back then, I thought my work was the best, I didn’t have patience to listen to other people’s work. So I threw the CD on the ground and stamped on it for good measure. I also had a lot of drink in me. Told the girl she's never gonna be good enough if all she did was hang around real geniuses. It was pretty mean. Didn’t even make sense.But that was me back then. That’s no excuse, of course.

It was only later that week that I heard what happened to the girl. She was an abused kid, her only outlet was her songs and I was her biggest inspiration. She hung herself on a beam in her room, with my songs playing in the background.” Korra's voice wavered at this point, and she took a few deep breaths. Asami tightened her grip on the other girl's hand. After a few moments, Korra continued.

“It got to me, you know. I couldn’t write songs anymore and I couldn’t bear to listen to anything I’ve written before. Until I stopped listening to music altogether. Then I ran away. If I didn’t, I couldn’t have lived with myself. My guilt crippled me. Didn’t tell anybody where I was. My parents and my friends thought I’ve vanished altogether, during that first year I was gone. I caused a lot of people more pain.

I started singing again to feed myself, but it wasn’t until my third year here that I started feeling my old self again. I guess time does heal all wounds. And I also made friends here and somehow got better enough not only to move on from my mistake, but to amend it, at least. I haven’t forgiven myself, but I’ve ben trying to make up for it ever since. That girl deserved something better and it was an idiot like me who ruined her life.”

Korra's shoulders slumped at that, and Asami has never seen the other girl so defeated since they met.

Her thumb rubbed little circles on the dark hand she was holding. “It’s not your fault Korra. You couldn’t have known the girl would do that.”

“Still. I should’ve been a better person. The fame game went to my head. But since the incident, I made a promise it would never, ever get to me like that again” the Songwriter said resolutely.

She looked to Asami with eyes burning with resolve and only belatedly realized that she was gripping the other girl's hand. She slowly pulled hers back and muttered a quiet “Thanks.”

Asami wanted to comfort Korra but since the other girl took her hand away, she was afraid whatever gesture she did hen would appear intrusive, so she just said what seemed like the right thing to say.

“You’re a good person Korra, I’ve seen it throughout the day and I’m sure whatever amends you've been doing ever since has more than made up for your past mistake. You’re only human, everyone errs once in a while. What matters most is that you know you were wrong and you’ve changed since then” Asami said with conviction.

Korra gave her a grateful smile, eyes shining. “You know what made me come back?”

Asami cocked her head in question, the motion making some of her hair cascade out of its messy ponytail.

Korra's eyes lingered on the black tresses before continuing. “That I could do some good with the money I earn from my songs. Especially to kids here in Ba Sing Se. There are just so many urchins here… they deserve better” she said, her eyes clearing up a bit and her posture straightening a little.

Asami smiled back at the Songwriter’s hopeful expression. But then Korra's small smile turned into a frown. “I’m sorry for unloading all that on you. You must think I’m a nut job. But somehow, it’s just very easy to tell you things, there’s something about you that told me you’d understand.”

Asami felt her cheeks heating up again. “Oh. It's not a problem. I appreciate that you told me your story. Not many people I know are as genuine or as honest as you. I'm glad that you did. She tucked a stray strand of her unruly hair behind an ear, aware that the Songwriter was studying her under her blue, blue gaze.

“So, uhm, I’ve told you a bit of myself, but I still don’t know you that much. Hmm. Come to think of it, here I am spilling my guts to an almost complete stranger. What if you were a serial killer or something? Sort of like those women who use their beauty to lure unsuspecting strangers into trusting them then BAM! They strike!” Korra said jokingly.

Asami was glad the atmosphere between them was already lighter and she was glad the energetic Korra was reemerging. She was happy seeing these sides of the Songwriter as she was starting to piece together the puzzle that was the woman sitting beside her.

“I don’t know what to say to that. On one hand I should be flattered you called me beautiful, on the other, I should be offended you compared me to a serial killer” Asami deadpanned. Then they both laughed at how silly it sounded.

Asami gathered her hair and tied it into a messy ponytail, continuing their discussion. “My life isn’t as interesting as yours” she swept her hand towards the Beach, indicating Korra's experience in the outside world. “I’ve been dancing since I could walk, at least that’s what my Mom told me. She was a Dancer too. I work as an engineer when I’m not on tour. My Dad owns a company and I work for him. Pretty boring stuff” Asami shrugged.

“Wow, beauty, skill and brains! Your parents must be so proud!” exclaimed the darker girl.

“Oh, well. My Dad's pretty okay with it, as long as my dancing does not interfere with my work. I wouldn’t know about my Mom though, she died when I was 12, in a car accident.” Asami picked at the pebbles scattered near their blanket's edge. She was surprised when a hand made its way to hers and squeezed it.

“I’m sorry to hear that. That must’ve been tough for you”. Korra's eyes were so blue, Asami found herself smiling, despite the sad memory. “It’s okay. I think I’m almost over it. I dance because of her. For her memory. Sometimes it's the only thing that makes me happy.”

She felt the Songwriter's breath on her face, it was pleasant, smelling of apples. She didn’t realize she was starting to edge closer and their faces were just a couple of inches away until she heard someone clearing her throat behind them. At that, they both jumped away from each other like they were burned.

“Oh, Zu, it's you!” Korra called out, her voice cracking at the end.

Azula only raised an eyebrow at them. She was carrying a board of her own and was clearly headed to the sand dunes. “Pabu's napping at the tent. He almost ate all of my grape supply. Aren’t you two _friends_ going to surf?”

“Oh. We haven’t changed yet. You willing to surf, Asami?” Korra said, looking at the raven-haired girl who was still clearly flustered.

“I’m willing, but I don’t think I’m good enough for the big waves.”

“It's okay, we're surfing the medium ones. It's about 3pm, judging by the shadows…” Korra squinted “so I say it's safe for your skin now. But just put a bit more sunblock after we change just to be safe.”

“I'll see you on the dunes ladies” Azula sauntered off leaving Asami to assume the obviously extra sway of her hips was meant for Korra’s attention. When she looked at the Songwriter though, she was surprised that she was looking at her.

“So, let's change first?”

“Okay” Asami answered, a smile on her lips.

 

 

Korra was wearing a dark green tank top and board shorts, waiting for Asami to come out of the changing tent. Azula, for all her antics, really did have everything. The clothes were brand new, she just kept them in storage until someone needed supplies.

“Does this look okay?”

Korra turned around to face Asami and her jaw dropped to the floor. Asami was wearing a deep red bikini top and short denim shorts. The clothes weren’t too fancy but on Asami… wow. Korra wouldn’t be surprised if her nose was bleeding from the sheer _snazz_ of the woman heading towards her. But she did manage to speak a coherent answer.

“Uhh. Yeah, they look great. You look great. Uh. Great!” she babbled.

Asami smirked, noticing the other woman's discomposure. For some reason, she wanted to flaunt her looks more. She knew she was a looker, saw it in the way people gawked at her when she passed by. And she was used to it. She never made anything out of it, never was one to let it get to her head.

But somehow with Korra… with Korra… she wanted to feel desired. She knew it was bad, but she chose to tease the Songwriter anyway. She stopped and rested a hand on hip, pouting exaggeratedly. She realized she'd laugh at herself at any other time but Korra just brought these unfamiliar feelings/behaviour out of her. ‘Are you sure?”

“Asami, you could wear a sack for all I care and you’d still look great.” Korra stated, matter-of-factly, finally seeming to recover from her Asami-induced coma.

Asami just laughed out loud at the compliment. “Im kidding, you dork. I don’t care what I wear. I mean, I usually do, but out here, everyone is just too comfortable being in their own skin. I super like it.”

She proceeded to their blanket and plopped down to sit on the pillows. “Hey, come here and give me a hand with this sunblock, will ya?” she said, motioning to Korra who looked like she was having another conniption. _Perhaps she's into me? Nah_. Asami tried to shrug the thought off. But Korra did wear her heart on her sleeve (or in this case, lack thereof) and judging from their interactions, the Songwriter did seem to have a bit of a crush on her, if all the blushing and the discreet glances were to be her basis.

She found she liked it. She shouldn’t, but she did. For a moment, she felt guilt rear its ugly head but she managed to put it at the back of her mind. She was on vacation, damnit! and she was going to enjoy this wonderful day, whatever the cost.

She felt a warm weight settle at her back, a dark hand taking the bottle of sunblock from her. She tried not to mind how the hands moved on her back but her stubborn body just did not want to cooperate.

Korra's hands felt like heaven and Asami suddenly became aware of how the desert wasn’t the only thing radiating intense heat. Thankfully, Korra handed the bottle back so she can apply lotion to her arms and legs. She was really tempted to let Korra do her whole body but she wasn’t quite comfortable with that. Would Korra think that too flirty? It certainly seemed so from her own point of view. But again, she didn’t want to think about it too much. So she settled on the safe alternative and applied the lotion herself.

Korra stood up and Asami immediately felt a loss, somewhere in her chest. She turned her head to look at the Songwriter and was surprised the other girl was darker than usual, her cheeks to her neck. Korra also noticeably seemed to avoid looking at her and instead, went to pick their boards, standing on the edge of their blanket, facing away.

The action left Asami confused. Maybe she was turning off the Songwriter by coming on too strong? But… but she wasn’t even flirting or… was she? Asami sighed, unable to gauge her feelings anymore. And not only that, she foud that the more time she spent in the Songwriter’s company, the more she wasn’t behaving like her usual self. All this brazen _flirting,_ yes, it _was_ flirting, (she acknowledged, at least, to herself), wasn’t like her. What was it with Korra? She stood up and brushed the sand from her shorts and approached the Songwriter who’s back was turned towards her. Asami awkwardly nudged Korra's elbow. “Shall we?”

Korra started walking without glancing her way. “So, uhm how it works is, like basic surfing, just lean right or left while maintaining balance. We'll go on one of the easy slopes.”

Right then, they heard louder-than usual hollering from the surfers so they turned just in time to see someone perform a jaw-dropping 360 spin on a board, only to unbelievably drop upright, still speeding towards the bottom.

The people’s shouts were echoing throughout the depression now, the surfer making a sharp bank left so she can make her board fly up from the sand landing a couple of spins before she reached the bottom.

Korra let out a very loud whistle. “Heeeyyy Azulaaaa!!!!” she hollered.

Asami turned towards her surprise evident in her face. “ _That’s_ Azula? Wow.”

Korra resumed walking along the cliff edge, steadily descending towards the Beach. “They don't call her the Queen of the Beach for nothing. She’s one of the best surfers in the world actually. She just usually hangs here if she’s on her off-season. As you can see, she dominates on sand too” she grinned.

Asami pursed her lips in what she guessed would pass for a smile (whatever, Azula). She concentrated on scampering down the cliff, the sand was looser now and she slid a couple of inches with every step.

“Here.” Korra pointed. “You can see where you can put your foot on without sliding with these red pebbles. The sand is more dense here, mixed with some sort of soil. These paths are scattered throughout the Beach, it's what the surfers use so they won’t slide whilst walking towards a sand dune peak.”

True enough, Asami noticed the narrow, zigzagging paths meandering towards the horizon and she put her foot on one, testing her weight. It held. She followed Korra more confidently now, the path they were taking gradually ascending towards a sand dune where a few surfers were standing on top, waiting for their turn.

They arrived at the top, Asami breathing hard. She glanced at Korra but it seemed the other girl wasn’t even winded by the climb. A surfer noticed them at that point.

“Are my eyes deceiving me or is that really the Krow standing there?” he said, shading his eyes with hand and squinting towards Korra. The other surfers turned to them as a whole and let out a collective cheer.

“Kroww!!! How's it going man?”

“Oh wow, a legend walking amongst us!”

“Are you gonna give us a run for our money?”

Korra greeted each and everyone of the group, high-fiving and slapping backs as she traded good-natured ribbing.

“Who’s your Girlfriend?” one of the surfers noticed Asami hanging back.

“Oh. We're not. She's not my girlfriend” (jeezz how many people were gonna ask her about her “girlfriend”today?) Korra answered, scratching the back of her neck. Asami noticed it seemed to be a nervous tick with the Songwriter. Again, those biceps were on display. She decided it was nervous tick she liked.

“I’m Asami, how are you guys?” the Dancer stepped forward and introduced herself since Korra can’t seem to get over her flustered state.

“So if you guys aren’t together, I'm Wu and it’s a pleasure to meet you” a scrawny guy surfer took Asami's hand and kissed it, surprising the Dancer with the rather bold gesture.

Suddenly, Wu was yanked backwards, almost losing his balance to reveal a scowling Korra take his place in front of Asami. The Dancer raised her eyebrow at Korra “Well that’s a pretty strong reaction.”

“He was being disrespectful.” Korra just said, lips pursed. But Asami noticed the other girl sticking to her side when they took their places in the crowd of surfers waiting for their turn.

“So, do you want go first or do you want to see me demonstrate before you go?” Korra asked her.

“Uhm sure, you could go first.”

“Okay,” Korra stepped forward on the drop “ just make sure you stay on your board- that part with the rough surface should be upright. Use your knees and hands for balance and when you get to the bottom, just aim for that flat part there” she pointed to a wide, flat stretch of sand “that part’s already rock but it’s got some sand on top so it’s going to slow you down until you stop, no problem. Got it?” she looked to Asami to confirm if the other girl understood.

Asami nodded an affirmative, watching Korra put her board down, rough surface upright. The Songwriter glanced at her with a lopsided smile and pushed off.

Korra speeded her way to the bottom, not doing anything fancy, just demonstrating where Asami could surf her board towards the flat sands.

The other surfers congregated near Asami when they saw Korra push off. For a couple of seconds, they were talking excitedly but it died down when they noticed Korra just doing some plain sand-surfing, no tricks. The guy called Wu sidled up to Asami.

“Hey Asami, how’d you end up with one of the best sand-surfers around here?” he said, perhaps trying to make small talk. It was his luck that Asami _was_ actually interested in the topic. “Korra’s good?” she said, trying to make her voice not sound so eager at getting info about the Songwriter.

Wu smirked. “Yep, one of the best around. I mean, I’m pretty good too…” (he ignored Asami’s eye-roll at this) “… but Krow and Azula are the best around. They used to be rivals. But I guess they get along pretty well now. If you ask me, they have a thing going. Which reminds me…” at this point, he tried to put an arm around Asami’s shoulder, but the taller girl managed to narrowly avoid it by switching her hold on her board to Wu’s side. Wu frowned a bit at this but it seemed he was undeterred by the obvious rebuke from the dancer. “…. Are you going to tonight’s Full Moon party?”

“Full Moon party?” what’s that?” Asami asked distractedly, scanning the crowd and hoping to see Korra amongst it.

“Well, it’s the Full Moon Festival celebration of course. Celebrated in the old way too so you’re gonna be in for a treat if you’re going. Dancing, eating, and… uhh celebrating!” Wu gesticulated wildly.

 

“I’m gonna have to think about it. I’m not sure if Korra’s going.” Asami finally faced Wu.

“Going to what?” just then, Korra appeared at Asami’s side, her hand settling lightly on the small of Asami’s back. Asami leaned into the warm hand unconsciously.

“Oh, Wu here was telling me about the Full Moon party tonight and he’s asking if I was going. I told him I’m not sure if you were gonna…”

“Ahem”.

Asami looked to Wu, a bit annoyed at being interrupted.

“Actually, Asami, I was asking if you’d go with me. To the party, tonight. Korra can come too, but, you’d be with me. A date kind of thing.” Wu winked.

Asami wanted to blanch and started to say no when Korra beat her to it.

“Actually Wu…” Korra’s hand on Asami’s back made its way all around and settled on the dancer’s hip “she’s going with me.”

Asami’s ear’s felt hot at the Songwriter’s very possessive declaration but she just nodded her head and smiled widely when Wu looked to her for confirmation.

Wu looked back and forth between the two ladies and then finally at Korra’s hand on Asami’s waist.

“Fine”. He pouted and did his best to stomp away on the loose sand. It made him look like he was waddling instead. Asami heard him muttering under his breath “Bah. Lesbians. hmmpt”. She grinned. But then all too soon, Korra was disentangling her arm around her.

“Sorry about that, you just looked like you needed a rescue” the singer said.

“Oh, that’s cool” Asami said (although she looked anything but cool at the moment, red as she was from blushing – again with the blushing).

“So, your turn?” Korra cocked her head.

“Okay. Wish me luck” Asami said, stepping towards the edge and positioning herself on her board.

She pushed off and barely just heard Korra’s shouted “Good luck!”.

Korra was right, the sand really was fine and she picked up speed on her way down. It didn’t feel as easy as it was to watch it. Surfing on sand was different from water in the sense that she had to put more weight on her knees to move the board to the direction she wanted. Everything was a blur now and she wished she had her driving goggles, but she guessed the desert wind whipping through her face was part of the charm. She hollered in joy. This is fun!

She was near the bottom now and she steered her board towards the flat area. She slowed down gradually and she could hear Korra’s voice whooping victory from the top of the sand dune. She smiled at the other girl’s cheering.

The Dancer joined the other surfers trudging towards the peak, adrenaline still coursing through her veins from her first successful sandsurfing experience so she made it on top without getting winded as from her first climb.

She headed towards where she last saw Korra and squinted her eyes when she saw a small crowd gathered around the Songwriter _and_ Azula. The crowd broke up just as she arrived with Korra spotting her.

“Hey, nice run ‘Sami” Korra said, high-fiving the dancer.

“Thanks. It was awesome” Asami acknowledged. “So… what was that all about?” she asked, trying to make her voice neutral.

“Oh, the guys wanted a surf-off. I told them I couldn’t because I was escorting you around.”

“A surf-off? Why’d you say no?” Asami faced Korra. “I want to see you surf! Wu said you’re pretty good” she poked Korra’s arm.

“Oh,” Korra scratched the back for her neck. “Okay then, if that’s what you want.” She immediately looked around for Azula and shouted when she spotted the older woman’s back. “Hey Zu, it seems like I get to kick your ass after all!”

Azula planted her board on the sand and gave Korra a smirk “Bring it.”

The few surrounding surfers whooped and hollered and started running towards the bigger dunes in excitement. They started shouting “Surf-off!” whilst running that soon enough, everybody were shouting with them. The sound echoed throughout the depression that was the Beach and Asami grinned widely, catching the excitement. She can’t help but think this is actually her best vacation ever.

_________________________________________________________________

 

Asami was settled on the cliff edge, holding her camera. Korra and Azula were on top of the highest sand dune. Surfers were settled all over the Beach to witness what according to Wu was “a day to make it on the history books” but most of them were on the cliff, like Asami.

She readied her camera as the two pushed off. Korra kept doing unbelievable flips that everytime she made an almost-impossible one, the crowd would do a collective gasp. Azula’s tricks were good too, but compared to the Songwriter, they weren’t as complex or looked easy beside Korra’s. Asami set her camera on video so she didn’t have to keep clicking and lose her concentration on Korra.

Midway down the dune, the upper part of the “wave” burst into a spray of sand and at first Asami thought someone placed some dynamite on it for the sand to explode like that. She didn’t imagine the real cause of the explosion to be scarier than what she imagined. A fish(?!) the size of one of her larger Satomobiles flew through the air before hitting the sand and disappearing. Asami couldn’t help but notice the dagger-like teeth from the fish’s jaws before it hit the sand.

Everyone was screaming but the one thing Asami could make out from the din was “Sand Tiger Shark”.

She looked for Korra in panic and noted that she was actually a bit ahead, surfing almost parallel to the large fin speeding towards the dune bottom. Asami breathed a sigh of relief. It looks like the shark can’t change directions with the speed it was going. But that was when she noticed the Shark rearing and taking to the air again, and it seemed Azula was in the way of it’s trajectory. If she didn’t speed up or change direction she’d be a goner for sure. Asami was gripping her board strong enough to hurt her hand but she didn’t care. She shouted along with the others, encouraging the surfers to get out of the dune, _now!_

The shark was descending rapidly towards Azula when the crowd gasped. Korra was in the air beside the shark! Her board hit the predator’s tail fin in a 360 flip and Korra almost didn’t land correctly. It was a testament to the girl’s skill that she did and this time, she was side by side with Azula. The shark hit the sand rolling and it looked like it was winded from landing incorrectly. It burrowed into the sand dune again but luckily, this time, Korra and Azula were prepared. They were working with each other, zigzagging and almost hitting each other every time they crossed each other’s path. The shark was apparently confused by the maneuver as it seemed to slow down and try to consider who to follow. It settled on speeding towards Korra. But the two master surfers have found their momentum at this point and by the time the Shark speeded up, the two were already on the flat stretch. The Shark coulnd’t come after them further lest it risk burrowing into stone, and it couldn’t do that. Asami’s voice has gone hoarse at this point from shouting – she and the surfers weren’t so much as shouting but cheering the two daredevils who escaped the Shark. The two both disembarked on their boards proceeded to climb the cliff. The sandshark stopped just at the edge of the flat surface and “swam” on the edge for a bit, its tail fin visible before it vanished altogether.

Asami ran towards the cliff trail passing the other surfers also hurrying to meet the two competitors. Asami saw Korra jogging and speeded up. She didn’t stop and threw herself into Korra. The Songwriter caught her and twirled them around to lessen Asami’s push from her jump.

Asami buried her face on the Songwriter’s neck. “I thought I was gonna lose you.” She felt a hand stroke her hair and heard Korra chuckle. “For a minute there, I thought so too…” she leaned back so she could properly look at Asami. The Dancer seemed like she was trying to hold back tears. Korra looked at her for a moment and her grin slowly grew “BUT DID YOU SEE THAT AWESOME AERIAL I DID?!!”

Asami let out a watery laugh “You shit. You could have died.” She slapped Korra’s arm, not strong enough to hurt and she let it stay there. Korra just grinned bigger, settling her hands on Asami’s waist.

“Hey, I’m fine too, Thanks for the concern.”

The two girls turned towards Azula who was surrounded by the other surfers. Asami was secretly happy the surfers purposefully seemed to give them a few moments of privacy.

“That was a pretty good aerial too, Krow. One for the books.” Azula winked at Korra and walked ahead, surrounded by doting surfers but not before they slapped Korra on the back or give her a high-five for “the most awesome surfing they’ve ever seen”.

Korra took the praise gracefully, exchanging a good-natured “thanks” for each praise given.

“If you look at me like that any longer, I’m going to melt” the Songwriter said, not looking at the Dancer, but Asami knew she was being addressed.

“Oh. I’m. Uh. Whatever” Asami muttered. She _was_ staring at Korra. Unconsciously. How embarrassing. She disentangled herself reluctantly from the Songwriter and started walking towards the Oasis, along with the stragglers, trying to walk ahead of the Songwriter in order to hide her still red face.

Korra caught her hand with her own and pulled her so that they can walk side-by-side together instead.

“Did you guys know there were Sand-tiger Sharks, here?” Asami said, not meaning for her voice to sound chiding, but the some of it still escaped on her tone.

“Oh, the last Sand-Tiger shark attack was some years ago. Maybe we made too much noise to attract that one.” Korra pursed her lips in consideration. “That’s the first one I’ve seen anyway. But we’d have to have some people check it out so we know it’s safe to surf again. I’m sure Azula’d have some people look at it”.

Asami tightened her hold on Korra’s hand. “No kidding though, you scared me. It’s good that you’re so a very skilled surfer. Otherwise, I don’t know what could’ve happened” she said quietly.

Korra stopped walking and faced the other girl. “Hey, it’s ok. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere. Especially since I’m so awesome” she said flexing her arms, obviously trying to cheer Asami up. It worked, as Asami gave her a small smile.

“I just wish I could see that jump again though, that was a pretty hard one” Korra said as they resumed walking.

“Oh, I got it on my camera. I have the whole thing on video” Asami said nonchalantly.

“You WHAT?!?! YOU HAVE IT ON VIDEO, YOU WONDERFUL BEAUTIFUL WOMAN YOU!” Korra stopped again, taking Asami by the arms and shaking her. “I can’t wait to see it! Gimme! Gimme!” she said, practically jumping in excitement.

“Whoa, hold yer horses. You can see it later. Let’s get out of here first” Asami said, pulling Korra towards the Oasis, fingers unconsciously intertwining with the other’s hand.

For a fleeting moment, Korra got a sense of de ja vu. She couldn’t believe it was only that morning when she was the one pulling Asami towards the wet market. It was a mark of how far they’ve come- this comfort of seeking and touching each other constantly.

Korra didn’t know what it meant yet, nor where it would lead to, but she thinks that she wouldn’t mind a bit and she was more than interested to find out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up -
> 
> The Full Moon Festival party in full sway! and yes, I'm using the word "sway" coz Asami gets to dance for Korra 
> 
> There's an unexpected revelation (though you might pick up some foreshadowing on this chapter)
> 
> Korra chooses
> 
> Asami chooses
> 
> yadayadayada


	5. The Kiss (that didn't happen)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Full Moon Fest! 
> 
> and a very unexpected ending.

The girls were sitting at the back of a beat-up pick-up truck, along with some other surfers. They were headed to the foothills, for the Full Moon Festival Party. Korra said that the location was specifically called the Desert Mouth (Asami assumed the name would eventually be explained when they got to the venue), some ways away from the Beach.

The atmosphere was electric, everyone hyped up for the celebrations that night. But as Asami gazed at her companion, she smiled in amusement that even all the excitement couldn’t keep her companion from taking a nap. Korra has her arm around Asami's waist, the Songwriter leaning on her shoulder while dozing. Pabu was curled on Asami’s lap, snoozing along with Korra. Asami grinned at the alternating soft snores coming from the two.

She had a feeling the tingles she could feel somewhere in her chest, near her heart, were not only because of the anticipation for that night's celebration, but also because of the Songwriter's very welcome proximity.

Asami started to see more vehicles travelling on the same dusty road they were on and assumed that those must be other people attending the party.

Their ride climbed a relatively elevated patch of desert road and stopped on some kind of designated parking area, the Cabbage Corp model truck they were on almost sputtering out of life several times along the incline (such _shoddy_ workmanship, that). There were already a lot of other vehicles there with people starting to carry supplies towards the venue.

She heard a yawn before she felt Korra withdraw her hold on her. Asami wanted to keep the hand on her back longer but didn’t want to freak the songwriter out by being too clingy. To think she's spent some of her time that day denying there was nothing going on between them. _Talk about ironic_.

“Come on, we’ll use a shortcut” Korra said, putting a groggy Pabu on her shoulder and steering Asami by the elbow towards a rocky outcropping.

Asami glanced at the other people with them and saw that they were all headed towards a small road winding to the heights. She shrugged her shoulders, somehow already pretty sure that Korra knew a better way to go up.

“Okay” she said, taking the Songwriter’s hand. Some time that day, the two grew comfortable enough to touch each other without any second-guessing. Asami didn’t hesitate to take advantage of it, every time an opportunity presented itself.

She’d secretly smile to herself when Korra did the same thing though. She guessed they did look like a couple to everyone else, what with all the public displays of affection. But she didn’t care.

She’s already debated with herself enough earlier that day and found that at least in this time and place, there was no stopping her from what she wanted to do. And right now, all she wanted was to be near Korra. She’d process what it all meant later.

 

They were climbing on rock steps carved into the hillside. Since Asami grew up on Republic City – a veritable Urban Jungle – all the rugged terrain was robbing her of breath. She found she didn’t mind though, since the only constant thing she was conscious of at this point was the Songwriter’s strong grip on her hand.

Korra was a couple of steps above her when she suddenly stopped and glanced down on the Dancer. Her features were rimmed with the dusky light and Asami had to bite her lip from exclaiming on the Songwriter’s beauty. Korra was bronzed and gilded, the light bouncing off her skin making her look like she was shining a light of her own.

From Asami's vantage, it looked like she was gazing on an ethereal goddess.

It was then that the Dancer suddenly got a feeling deep in her gut that the person in front of her was not meant to stay long, as if she was fleeting as the fading light, ready to flit away anytime and never to be seen again. She felt as if she was one of the few lucky enough to bask in Korra's presence. The thought made her sad since it felt so much like a premonition, but at the same time, made her realize and treasure all the more the time she did have with the Songwriter.

“Alright, close your eyes okay? The Desert Mouth is beyond these last few steps”, Korra prompted, a smile tugging at her lips.

Asami obligingly closed her eyes.

Korra directed her steps for the last ascent and then Asami felt lips near her ear whisper “You can open your eyes now.”

When Asami did, she couldn’t stifle the gasp that escaped her. Her eyes were met with the most brilliant sunset she’s ever seen. She’s heard that desert sunsets were apparently really beautiful, but she wasn’t prepared to witness its unique beauty firsthand.

The full moon was already rising, riding low in the sky and effectively claiming a part of it for its own. The Sun and the Moon at once, in one sky. The celestial bodies seemingly wanted to witness the start of the Festivities together. Asami inhaled a deep breath to take in the rest of the grandeur in front of her.

The majesty of the view was compounded by the raw beauty of the Desert Mouth. The depression was filled with formations of pillar rocks stretching across the foothills, bordering the mountains and the desert. The tallest ones were about a hundred feet tall, the rocks spread some ways away until everything petered out into open sand.

From her view up top, the earthen bowl below really looked like a grinning mouth, with the pillars as scattered, haphazard teeth filling up the aptly named Desert Mouth. _So that's why they named it such_. Asami smiled, _figures_.

She continued to gaze at the awesome perspective- the setting sun, the rising full moon, the riot of colors made possible by the combination of dust, clouds, rock shadows and all the natural hues of a desert bleeding together to form a glorious painting. It took Asami’s breath away.

They wouldn’t have had this view if they used the common road the other festival goers traversed below. She looked to Korra, still dumbstruck, mouth agape and at a loss for words.

The Songwriter just gave her a knowing smile. “I’m glad you like it” she said.

Asami had to take a moment to gather it all in, the girl beside her, the place, the people and the celebration. Everything was magnificent and she was trying to commit it all to memory, one that'll last her for a long time. She was suddenly struck with an idea.

She took her camera from her pocket, the only possession she had with her after leaving her and Korra's things with Azula (the surfer assured them that her crew will be bringing their belongings along with hers to the venue, aboard one of her entourage’s many trucks).

“Hey, let’s take a picture together, shall we?” she put her arm around the Songwriter, prompting her to face the camera. She took an angle not facing the sun but one that still captured most of the scenery.

“Uhmm, okayyy..” Korra put up her hand in a peace sign, smiling at the camera.

Asami made a silly duck face, her long arms holding the camera out for a selfie. The camera clicked and when they looked at the picture, they both burst out laughing at their expressions.

“Perfect.” Asami said, her meaning clearly indicating more than the picture.

 

* * *

 

They descended the cliff to people already starting the celebrations. There were some errant fireworks here and there, as if someone couldn’t wait for the night to fully envelop them.

There was an excited buzz in the air, interspersed with laughter. More people were arriving. Asami looked around and noticed that the majority of the festival goers were adults.

There was a mix of races though- Fire nation, Water tribe and even Air Nomads mingling along with the Earth nation populace. Asami wondered why she hasn’t heard of this festival yet. It was obviously popular among the locals.

Korra was marching her through the grounds and obviously knew a lot of the attendees. People all around were exchanging good-natured greetings, food, _and_ a lot (a _LOT_ ) of liquor. Korra waved and smiled to anyone who greeted them – and that was almost everyone.

A group of teenagers stopped Korra and gushed about Pabu. One of the older ones, who introduced himself to Asami as Kai, wanted to “borrow” the Slow Loris. Korra looked to Asami for permission.

The Dancer wasn’t sure about letting a stranger carry her pet around but didn’t want to say so, in front of the group.

“Kai’s in a Veterinary Scholarship at Ba Sing Se University. His major includes local fauna, so it's no wonder he likes Pabu. But it's your choice, ‘Sami” Korra stated, as if sensing Asami's hesitance.

Asami was still unsure but when she saw Pabu hop on Kai's disheveled hair and stand there like it was the most natural thing to do, Asami relented.

“Just make sure you feed him and take care of him and bring him back to us, of course.”

Kai gave her a very big smile and thanked her.

“Make sure you have him secure when the fireworks start, or at least have him nestled somewhere safe” Korra added. To which Kai assured them that he will treat Pabu like his own son and was rewarded with amused chuckles from the group. He told Korra he will meet them at the “usual place” after the festivities, to give them back the Loris.

When the group departed, there were more people at the venue and it seemed that at every other step, somebody wanted to stop and chat with the Songwriter.

Asami noticed Korra getting impatient but as usual, was very graceful about it and indulged her greeters. After the last one she spoke with, she speed-walked while leading Asami towards the southern part of the camp, purposefully looking ahead and just giving a hasty wave whenever somebody called her name.

They were heading towards a very big pile of wood that was being set up for what Asami assumed was a bonfire. If she was correct then the Bonfire is gonna be _huge_.

A short walk from there revealed the food stalls. ,Asami smirked. _I should’ve known_.

Korra proceeded to the nearest one and started piling food on a plate she miraculously scored from somewhere but not before handing the Dancer her own plate. Asami followed the other girl’s example, albeit at a slower pace and with a markedly fewer serving.

Korra was still piling food, while munching on some of the smaller bite-sized appetizers when she saw Asami’s plate was still mostly empty.

“Hey, aren’t you famished? ‘Coz I am and I know there’s no way you aren’t hungry after all this afternoon’s activity.” Korra asked Asami, genuinely curious as to why the Dancer wasn’t taking advantage of the abundance of food.

“Oh, actually,” Asami paused, and answered with a bashful “I don’t know what to eat, these are all new to me.”

“Oh.” Korra slapped her forehead as if figuring out that the food in front of them were actually all exotic Outer Ring delicacies. “Okay, let me choose for you, here..”

She proceeded to put some bits and pieces of food on Asami’s plate as well as on her own until they reached the end of the tables.

She led them to a rocky outcrop, where several of the surfers they met earlier were also sitting down and eating. They said “Hi’s” as they passed but Korra seemed focused on getting them seats. Once they did find a good spot- an elevated ledge overlooking the venue- Korra sat down and just went ahead and proceeded to demolish her loot with her usual gusto.

“Chew your food, Korra” Asami teased. The Songwriter turned to Asami and chewed her mouthful of food exaggeratedly before markedly swallowing. She gave a goofy lopsided grin after. The Dancer just laughed delightedly at the other girl's silliness. And again acknowledged that she wasn’t behaving like her usual self.

Any other person doing that would have been labeled a boor in her mind. But Korra.. Korra was something else. It seemed she couldn’t do anything wrong and everything she did just made the Dancer either laugh in delight or gush in amusement.

It was then that Asami acknowledged that her crush… yes, her _crush (she finally admits to herself, at least)_ on the Songwriter was reaching dangerous levels. How was she going to come back from this? She nibbled on her food slowly, thinking of what it meant.

She was leaving tomorrow night, after Opal's official album launch. Her crew was dancing and there was some ceremony after that but it was going to be direct to the airport from there. Maybe never to see Korra again. She felt her heart constrict at the thought.

Maybe they could be friends? Over the Internet? No, that wouldn’t work. From what she’s seen of Korra, she didn’t seem to even have a phone, she doubted if she kept abreast of the worldwide web. Asami worried her lip, a habit of hers whenever she was thinking deeply.

She heard Korra call her name.

“Asami… you alright?” Korra’s big blue eyes were gazing at her, a slight edge of worry in them.

“Oh it's nothing. Just thinking.” Asami said, trying to field the question off.

Korra noticed that the Dancer was hesitant to talk to her. She wanted the other girl to share whatever it was that was worrying her but she also wanted Asami to be comfortable enough share her thoughts, without further prodding. So she kept quiet, something that was unusual for her.

If she was still the Korra three years ago, she would have bulled Asami into telling her. But she’s changed now and she didn’t want the Dancer to think she was nosy. It wasn’t her business, what's inside that pretty head of raven-black hair. And she would have left it at that, but… but Asami did things to her reasoning, making her act all brash and impulsive and... happy.

And she didn’t want to let it go. She didn’t want Asami to think that she didn’t care. Because she did, she realized. She cared a LOT.

The girl whom she technically just met that morning has squeezed through her carefully constructed defenses and was making her presence very comfortable inside Korra’s heart. And Korra liked that presence there. It made the day, (and hopefully, if there was _something_ there) the future, less bleak. So she didn’t let the silence between them go. She took the Dancer's hand until Asami looked at her resolute expression.

“Hey..” Korra started, her voice nervous but holding a hint of determination.

“I want you to know that I’m here to talk, or anything.” She punctuated her statement with a shaky smile.

To her relief, her grip was returned, the Dancer squeezing her hand tighter.

They were both staring into each other's eyes. And it seemed that all the noise died down, everything else faded away. All that mattered was their proximity. They were very close, Korra could make out the individual lashes (curled and long) of the Dancer's verdant green eyes and if she tilted her face up a bit, she could catch the Dancer's luscious lips between hers.

And thinking about those lips caused Korra's eyes to flick down, noting the aquiline line of the Dancer’s nose, to the lusciously lipsticked lips, and she couldn’t stop leaning in. It was a hesitant movement, full of doubt. But there was no denying the _want_ that was there. Korra really, really wanted to kiss the Asami.

When Korra felt the pleasant warmth of the other girl’s breath on her cheeks, she realized that she wasn’t the only one leaning in. A few more millimeters, less than a handwidth away from her goal. _This is it._

“ _Hey hey hey_!!! It's forbidden to attend the festival if you guys are not drinking!”

The two jerked away as if burned.

Korra had to visibly swallow her ire before turning to the newcomer. It was Wu, already tipsy and holding out a shot glass to the two girls. His other hand was hugging an earthen jar with something sloshing inside.

He brandished the shot glass in front of Korra and Asami, close enough that Asami had to move further away from Korra to avoid getting splashed with whatever it was that Wu wanted them to drink.

She looked at Korra sheepishly (she thoroughly hoped her newly acquired tan hid her furious blush well). The Dancer was amused to note that at least, she wasn’t the only one nursing crimson cheeks. Korra was scratching the back of her neck and gave her a smile in return before turning to address Wu.

“What do you want, Wu?” Korra said, exasperation evident in her tone.

“Oh you know, just upholding tradition. Drink!”

Korra rolled her eyes but took the shot glass and downed the liquid in one swallow.

Wu tried to clap his hands, but ended up awkwardly patting the jar he held until Korra handed him the shot glass back.

Wu filled the shot glass again, brows furrowed in what seemed like absolute concentration. When he was able to do so with minimal spillage, he let out a delighted whoop, earning him a couple of curious stares from passersby and a giggle from the girls.

“Your turn, Princess” he handed the shot glass to Asami who looked at him dubiously.

“Just how many people have you offered this glass to?” Asami, asked, eyeing the shot glass she was holding.

“Uh… uhmmm. Let me see…” Wu looked to his hand not holding the jug and wiggled his fingers.

Asami waited patiently. Korra leaned on the rock face, content with watching the two in amusement.

“Five! You're the fifth one!” Wu yelled triumphantly.

Asami was still looking skeptical but she brought the glass to her lips. “This is super unhygienic” she stated before throwing back her head and emptying the contents of the shot glass down her throat.

Korra leaned forward, as if eagerly waiting for something.

Asami almost spit the liquid out as soon as it hit her throat. She sputtered but was able to swallow everything. The liquor burned a trail through her chest. Korra was grinning at her once she stopped swallowing and could see through tears.

“Wow ‘Sami! That was bad ass! Wu here almost coughed out his left lung the first time he tried that stuff!” Korra crowed.

“I did not!” Wu said indignantly, the jug tipping over some of its contents when he swayed dangerously to the right.

Korra moved over to Asami, rubbing her back to ease her through the rest of the liquor’s burn. “What the heck was in that?” Asami tried to wiped her tears while taking gulps of air to ease the stinging in her throat. “100% pure unadulterated Cactus juice” Korra crowed while laughing at Asami's death glare.

She was still fussing over Asami when she heard Wu clear his throat.

“Ahem. Korra…”

When Korra turned towards Wu, she couldn’t miss the diabolical grin on the Earth nation local's face and she felt her hackles raise from the expression.

“You know the First Drink rules. I get a favor. From Asami. And you.”

Korra face-palmed. Of course! Being flustered by the almost-kiss, she forgot one of the Festival's oldest traditions, the Rule of First Drink. She groaned and let her palm slide down her face.

“What’s wrong?” a drink-recovered Asami asked, worry evident on her tone. “The Rule of First Drink” Korra said, voice muffled by the palm still covering her face.

Asami glanced to Wu, who was smirking and was apparently not as drunk as he let on.

“Whosoever offers you the first drink in the Full Moon Festival gets a favor from the drinker.” Wu looked like a little kid at a candy store, grin almost splitting his face in glee.

Asami looked to Korra for confirmation, looking more worried now, since she didn’t know what the “favor” entailed. Korra finally took the palm off her face and was looking at Wu with an irritated expression. “Wu, you sneak! Why I oughtta…”

“Ah-ah, Krow, my favor from you, dictated by the sacred, unbreakable tradition of the Rule of First Drink is... to not interfere tonight.”

Korra huffed in indignation. She looked like she was about to say something, raising her index finger but Wu just tilted his head, his smile getting (unbelievably) bigger and turning to Asami.

“Asami, my favor from you, dictated by the sacred, unbreakable tradition of the Rule of First Drink is... that I get the first dance during Drum Time.”

“That's it?” Asami asked, unbelieving. “Korra, is that it?”

Korra took a second or two to glare at Wu who was gleefully pouring himself a shot of liquor to celebrate.

“Yep. That's it.” Korra confirmed, before pouting, lower lip jutting out.

Asami laughed at the anti-climactic result of Wu's apparent sneakiness.

She put her arm around the Songwriter's shoulders. “It’s just a dance Korra, no big deal.”

Korra huffed, still irked.

“I will see you later, my lady.” Wu winked then turned away, maybe to find other unsuspecting victims to get a drink from him.

“Korraaa… come on, it’s ok. It's only a dance. I thought it was going to be much worse” Asami laughed, shaking Korra playfully.

“That Wu. Hmmpt. The only reason why you think it’s not worse is because he owes me, I helped him to fulfill a favor he owed last year. But apparently that ungrateful wretch still had the guts to trick me” Korra said, still brewing.

Asami didn’t know why Korra was making a big deal out of the situation. It was just a stupid dance. Korra was behaving like a jealous boyfriend. Or girlfriend. She shouldn’t encourage it but the possessiveness made her warm inside.

And before she could stop it, she leaned into Korra's ear and whispered. “He may have the first dance but you can have me for the rest of the night.”

Asami leaned back, in truth, surprised that she was flirting so brazenly with the Songwriter. Never in a million years could she imagine saying that phrase to someone she just met several hours before. _What the hell got into her?_

Korra looked at her then, the expression in her blue, blue eyes unreadable.

Asami was looking horrified, hand on her mouth as if she couldn't believe she just said what she said.

The implications of that one sentence was running through her mind and.. yep, it did sound like she was implying that they hook up.

Korra was still looking at her, studying her in that a quiet, smoldering gaze.

“I think perhaps, you let the Cactus juice speak for you” the Songwriter said, voice quiet and controlled.

“ _That_ was Cactus juice?!?What does it do, remove one's reservations?” Asami sputtered.

Korra let out a sigh. “Yeah, I’m sorry I didn’t say anything, it's another one of those unspoken Festival laws.”

“Okaayyy… I take it it's to drink some, since you did too….” she petered off, removing her arm around Korra taking a step away to get some space between them, still feeling the awkwardness of her remark earlier.

“Yes, don’t worry, it's safe, in moderation. We can get other types of liquor later, but Cactus Juice is traditionally the first drink one should have to kick off the Full Moon Festival.” Korra said, also moving away and taking her previous seat before they were interrupted.

Asami sat down on one side of the ledge, the noticeable distance between her and the Songwriter, niggling at the back of her head.

“So uhmm, what next?” she asked, trying to fill the unexpected silence between them. _Why did it suddenly turn awkward?_

“Oh, uhhmm, there's gonna be a Master of Ceremonies to officially start the Festival” Korra pointed to a naturally raised stone, being used as a make-shift podium near the 2 storey-tall bonfire. “Somebody from the crowd will be called to light the fire and the Festivities start in earnest.”

Asami noticed that the raised ledge they were sitting on was actually one of many and it provided them a perfect view of the flat ground at the bottom where the Podium, bonfire and what she guessed was the dancefloor(?) was located. The whole area was bowl shaped, now that she had the luxury to study it better.

She felt a warm presence beside her. Korra had moved closer, sitting beside her. She gave her a smile before turning her attention back to the milling crowd below them.

Asami felt relieved that the Songwriter wasn’t mad or turned off with her. Her heart speeded up though and she could feel her temperature rising. She almost regretted drinking the damn Cactus juice but for some reason, she also felt like she conquered one of her fears.

She's always been the collected and composed heir to her Dad's company. Oftentimes, she's been accused of being just a prissy, rich girl because of it. But look at her now. She did something reckless! And adventurous! She surfed off a giant sand wave, for spirits’ sake. Nobody's gonna call her prissy now. She smiled and thought to herself, _Asami Sato, you just became a BADASS!_

“What are you so happy about? Wait. Are you high on Cactus Juice? Do I have to take you home?” Korra asked, her questions becoming increasingly frantic.

“Korra, relax. I can handle my liquor.”

Korra raised her eyebrow at this.

Asami relented, her smile becoming sheepish. “Ok, I can handle liquor, a bit. Cactus Juice is just…. a first time experience. I don’t know its strength. But anyway…” she tucked a raven-colored lock behind her ear, looking bashful. “I just realized, I’m happy. I’m happy.”

She finally raised her eyes to meet the blue ones inspecting her. Korra's concerned expression slowly changed into one of gladness when she saw that the other girl was actually saying a genuine sentiment, and it was not because of the Cactus Juice’s influence.

They were interrupted by the pounding of drums filling up the natural earth bowl.

The festival goers started whooping and hollering, the noise echoing against the Desert Mouth to deafening levels, the walls of the rock face creating a natural amplifier for the sound.

Asami looked eagerly to the Podium, her hand unconsciously grasping Korra's thigh. If she looked to the Songwriter then, she would have noted Korra gulping and Iooking decidedly flushed.

But her eyes were drawn to he _spectacle_ ascending the Podium below.

A man was sitting on a palanquin being carried by four very brawny Earth nation men and women.

The man had dark skin, like Korra, and was sporting what Asami could only describe as a _hipster_ albeit very dashing mustache. _Water Tribe_.

When the bearers reached the platform, the man hopped on to the Podium and did a turn, hands raised, to address the crowd.

The party-goers' cheers rose to a deafening crescendo.

Asami squinted “Hey, I know that man… isn't that the internet tycoon…” she started to say, turning to Korra.

“Varrick, at your service, ladies and gentlemen of the Full Moon Festival!” the man shouted, his voice amplified by the walls of the cliff.

It didn’t seem possible but the crowd's roar appeared to have gotten louder to Asami, compounded by the banging of large drums.

“It is my pleasure, and my honor to open tonight's Festivities!” Varrick said, clearly enamored of the crowd's attention.

Korra and Asami cheered, along with the others. The Dancer noticed Korra munching on some fruit. She gesticulated, indicating that she couldn’t believe the Songwriter was eating again.- Korra just shrugged, grinning, offering her last bite to Asami. Asami bit the apple slice from Korra's offering fingers. Korra gave out a delighted laugh. They turned their attention back to Varrick who was now holding a torch.

“And now, the signal for us to start the Festival, and most importantly, the partyiiingggg (at this, the crowd went wild), the lighting of the Bonfire! As to who would light it, we heard we are graced by the presence of a very special guest tonight, the Krow herself, Korra!!!!”

The drums pounded harder and the crowd stomped their feet in time to it.

Asami turned to her companion, eyebrow raised in wordless question, knowing that it would be impossible to compete with the noise the Festival-goers were making at the moment.

Korra gave her a similar expression, clearly indicating she didn’t have a clue that she was supposed to light the Bonfire.

The ground was pounding now, like a beating, slow, steady heart, the crowd stomping and starting to chant Korra's name.

“KOR-RA, KOR-RA, KOR-RA…”

Korra still looked undecided but Asami gave her a gentle push. “Go!” she mouthed. She started chanting Korra's name along with the others.

Korra gave her a lopsided grin before bounding down towards the Podium.

“And here she is! The esteemed Krow herself, to light the Bonfire for us!” Varrick yelled over the crowd's din, handing Korra the torch.

Korra raised the torch high above her head, and faced her audience, prompting them into a louder cheering of her name. Asami felt as if the very heart of the Desert was also chanting with them, keeping up with the Drums' beat. Her chest thundered along with it.

Korra did a dramatic bow and turned towards the enormous pile of wood. Asami would never forget that moment when Korra’s body coiled and sprung in one smooth motion as she hurled the torch to the top of the collected wood. _She is magnificent._

The torch looked as if somebody flicked the button for slow motion as it spun end over end and fell near the Bonfire's apex. For the first time that night, the crowd was silenced, only the Drums still pounding that steady beat. The Festival goers waited with baited breath.

And just like magic, the fire caught and raced down to engulf the wood. The crowd's noise echoed throughout the night as the Bonfire roared into life.

Asami yelled in triumph along with the others.

“Ladies and gentlemen, let the Festivities commence!” Varrick shouted, to the cheers of the people, before hopping on his palanquin again and yelling “Do the thing!“ to his bearers who carted him towards the food stalls.

Asami was looking eagerly for Korra to come back when she saw a line of people snake its way towards the dancefloor. She couldn’t make out from what nation they were. The newcomers wore loose, flowing robes, some had turbans on their heads.

“Sand people”. Asami heard Korra before she felt a hand settle lightly on the small of her back.

“You're really lucky, Asami, you’ll get to meet Sand people later. They don’t usually come out from the Desert to attend the Full Moon Festival.”

The Dancer felt a warm body sit next to her. Korra was smiling what Asami now considered her signature lop-sided smile. Her face had a faint sheen of sweat on it from the Bonfire and was cast in an orange glow, from the light of the flames below.

“So, how does one celebrate in the old way?” Asami asked, peering at the people below them.

Just then, the Drums started pounding louder and faster. And like one of the dragons of legend waking up from slumber, the crowd began to move and sway like one body.

They heard a clearing of throat behind them.

“Madame, my dance”. Wu was holding his hand out to Asami.

The Dancer looked ruefully at Korra who shrugged, a full-on pout on her lips.

“Go, I will watch and take you away if he tries to do something funny.”

Asami hesitated, like she was about to say something to the Songwriter but changed her mind at the last minute. Instead she squeezed Korra's bicep and mouthed “I’ll see you later”.

Wu took her hand and directed her to the crowd below and Asami had to hesitantly tear her eyes away from the solemn blue ones following her as she descended the ledge, lest she lose her footing.

* * *

 

They reached the grounds, Wu pulling her towards the center, already sashaying to the drum beats.

Once he was satisfied with the location, he turned to Asami and did a “come hither” motion with his hands. Asami couldn’t help but be amused by the exasperating Local. She had to give it to him, he might be annoying but he grows on you.

So she decided to just give in to the moment and make the most out of it. She matched the exaggerated steps of Wu. It was hard, since he seemed not to be following any pattern, so after a while she just decided to make her own crazy steps- she is a choreographer, after all.

They danced while laughing, as their steps got sillier and sillier.

In no time at all the Drums tapered off to a different beat, signaling the end of the first dance.

 _Well that was fun_.

She had to admit, the dance wasn’t as bad as she first thought and in fact, it was actually pretty good. Wu wasn't sleazy at all, in fact he was actually funny with his antics and he even got Asami laughing nonstop at an intentional stupid dance move a couple of times.

 _But_ it was time to go back to Korra.

Asami found that she couldn’t bear to be parted from the Songwriter for an extended period of time and the worrying thought came back to haunt her. What happens when they go their own ways tomorrow?

Wu offered to take her back but she declined. Luckily, a pretty fire nation girl interrupted them at that moment asking directions to the food stalls. Wu immediately perked up at this and offered his hand, saying he can even get her something to drink. Asami rolled her eyes and proceeded to go back to the ledge.

On her way there, she caught a familiar face leaning on one of the rock pillars. The muscular girl from the Water Tribe was surrounded by a small crowd of (Earth nation?) women.

Asami stopped in her tracks and her green eyes met the blue, blue ones of Korra's.

The combined light of the full Moon and the 2-storey bonfire provided enough illumination to Asami and it was clear that even though the Songwriter was surrounded by other women, she only had eyes for her.

It was then that the Drums started a different tempo. To Asami, the beat sounded primal, unrestrained. She looked towards the Drums to try find out what was different and was surprised to see that some of the Sand people took over the drumming tasks and were now behind the giant skins, pounding a rhythm that made the Desert air seem alive.

It made her feet itch to move and her whole body thrum in response. She closed her eyes and let the beat envelope her.

She opened her eyes and began to move, the dancing crowd behind her falling away, her focus solely on the blue eyes watching her intently.

She felt the heat of the Bonfire merge with her skin. The subtle beat of the ground moving in time with the pounding Drums raced up from the soles of her feet to the tips of her hands. It felt like her chest was going to burst with an unnamed energy. She wanted to dance. She _needed_ to dance. And she wanted to dance for one person only.

She kept her eyes one Korra's, raising her arms up high and moving sinuously to the pounding drumbeats. She swayed and moved her hands, tracing her face, running it down it between her breasts in a slow, measured movement while her feet kept in cadence with beat. All the while, Korra’s blue eyes never left her. It was like they were the only two people there instead of the hundreds sharing the Desert Mouth with them.

She turned around but still continued to dance in that intentionally sinuous movement, her hips now adjusting their sway to keep up with the gradual increase in the drums' tempo.

The beat was faster now and the thought of the blue-eyed girl watching her somehow made Asami reckless, made her pulse run along with the snap and pound of the Sand people beat.

She turned around and moved towards Korra, still dancing, still swaying, still moving like she too was a product of the wild, unrestrained beat claiming the Desert right now.

She was panting, the effort it took to keep up with the tempo was enormous, but she could take it. She is Asami Sato and she was dancing since before she could walk and at the moment, it seemed like a lifetime of dance has prepared her for just this particular one- in the Desert, dancing to the raw sound of Drums, for a girl with blue, blue eyes.

She speeded up her movements, her hips snapping and swaying and drawing a pattern in the air whilst her hands caressed her exposed skin and her hair which had fallen out of it's messy ponytail, followed her face like a curtain of dark shadow.

It was hot now. Hotter. Her skin was burning, her heart felt like it was beating for all it was worth. The Drums speeded up, until the rhythm rose to a frenzied crescendo. Asami was twirling faster, faster, _faster_ moving with the pounding until the music reached a peak. The rise in speed and volume signaling an impending finish- boom, boom, boom, BOOM!

And just like that, all of a sudden the drums stopped, leaving everything in relative silence.

Asami stopped too in perfect timing. She found herself face to face with the woman she was dancing for. Asami was panting, gulping in air. And in that moment, she thought it wasn’t only because of her exertions. She felt almost feverish, heat emanating from her body.

Korra's eyes were dark in the glow of the firelight. Asami didn’t notice it but the two of them drew closer unconsciously, the Songwriter's hands finding their way to her hips.

Surprisingly, Korra also looked as if she was out of breath too, the hands on hips tightening their hold.

Asami was about to throw caution to the winds, leaning in to lay claim the lips she's been daydreaming about for the whole day when a very loud, very shrill whistle sounded and gave them just enough warning before the sky exploded into a thousand lights.

 

* * *

 

The two looked up just as another explosion of colors (and sound) took place. The sky was awash with fireworks, the crowd roaring their approval from the ground.

Korra took Asami's hand and leaned in so she could hear her. “I have a better place where we can watch this.”

Asami nodded and let herself be led away, trying to calm the stampede in her chest. Once again, they climbed the ascent to the ledge.

Korra didn’t take her to where they sat before but instead entered a sort of depression in the rock. Asami was surprised to note that there was faint light coming from lamps sporadically interspersed throughout the path.

The tunnel was short though very steep and climbed the hillside steadily. When they finally emerged outside, Asami gasped in surprise to find that they were on top of a much larger ledge, but without the cliff walls to provide an unobstructed view of the fireworks.

A small group of people was already there, sharing a smaller version of the Bonfire below. It turns out, they were also the ones lighting the fireworks. Korra directed them to a clear patch of ground and flopped down on her back, patting the space beside her in invitation.

Asami mouthed “No” and instead, chose a different angle. She lay down on the ground, using the Songwriter’s very toned stomach as a pillow. She felt the muscles of Korra's abs twitch as she chuckled at Asami.

They were both watching the sky, talking was impossible because of the noise but somehow, it was a very comfortable silence between them. Asami enjoyed the sight of the fireworks directly above and she tried to imagine catching the multicolored lights as they fell towards the two of them.

The fireworks went on for almost an hour, the finalé, a long, extravagant display of the most beautiful patterns yet and the whole event finished with a spectacular simulation of what looked like a Shark bursting out of a giant wave to the approving shouts and hollers of the crowd.

Asami guessed that Varrick may have had a hand in sponsoring the staggering amount of fireworks used (since a display like that would be pretty expensive). They lay like that for a couple more minutes, until the smoke cleared enough to show the blanket of stars above them and the Full Moon, high in the sky now, looking regal in its blue-white light.

“Asami” Korra's voice called her so she turned to her side to look the Songwriter in the face.

“Do you want anything to drink? I could get us some beer or wine, if you want.”

“Uhhm, sure, wine's good!” Asami said gratefully, only noticing that she was actually parched. _I’m so thirsty,_ she thought, smiling slyly to herself at the double entrendé.

“You need to get off me though” Korra said, a laugh in her voice.

“Oh, sorry” Asami scooted off Korra, adjusting her position so that she was sitting cross-legged on the ground.

“One moment”. Korra bounded off towards the group near the small bonfire and was back in no time, holding two mugs.

“Ok, these are Earth nation drinks, so there's a bit of Cactus Juice” she held up her finger before Asami could protest “just a small amount, no need to worry unless you’re gonna be drinking a jugfull of the stuff”.

She handed Asami her mug, and put hers forward.

“To music!” Korra proclaimed heartily.

“Hear, hear!” Asami toasted back.

They both drank at the same time and Asami was relieved that it wasn’t as strong as the stuff Wu had them drink before.

“So, uhmm what do you wanna do next?” Korra asked, settling back down beside her laying on her back.

“Well, can we just stay here for a moment? The sky is just beautiful” the Dancer said reverently.

“It is.” Korra said softly, looking up at the woman beside her, allowing herself to smile widely since Asami wasn’t looking at her and wholly meaning someone else more beautiful than the sky.

“I don’t think I’ve ever taken a moment to look at stars like this in my past “vacations”. I’ve always been working in some way or another in all of them.” Asami said wistfully.

“That’s sad. I’m glad I was able to take you out on this one though, this might be the best Full Moon Festival I’ve attended so far” Korra tried to cheer the other girl up, and she was gratified when Asami perked up.

“Oh? So what have you been doing on the past Festivals that this one's a stand-out?”.

The Songwriter was quiet before answering. “I was just mostly drunk on Cactus juice the whole time. Azula and the rest of the gang had to keep an eye on me most of the time to make sure I didn’t cause any trouble.”

Asami peered at the Songwriter. She didn’t know what to say to that. But she did know that Korra just told her that this Festival was special because she was with her. There was also one other thing she picked up on the statement though. She took a small sip of her drink and mustered the courage to ask.

“So, Azula. Wu said you guys were an item…” she trailed off, not knowing how to proceed from there.

“It was… a dalliance. We just… it was a weird time for me. We were always trying to get the best of each other when we weren’t sleeping around so from the start it wasn’t a healthy relationship. I’m just glad we're able to stay friends.”

Korra sat up and drank from her mug, clearly hesitant to elaborate further.

“So what about you, do you have anyone special right now?” Korra asked, redirecting the line of questioning to the dancer.

Just then, several shooting stars blazed across the sky.

Asami’s hand unconsciously finding the Songwriter’s. “Make a wish” she whispered before she closed her eyes.

There was only one wish Korra wanted fervently at that moment and that wish was currently holding her hand. But it didn’t hurt to make sure that the wish stayed with her, so she closed her eyes along with Asami and prayed to the spirits that her “wish” is wishing for her too.

 

* * *

 

Korra squinted. It was still dark but there was already a faint light in the horizon. She felt the weight beside her shift and cuddle closer.

She smiled. Last night was awesome! After watching the meteor shower, Asami and her went back down to the Desert Mouth dancefloor and danced with each other. It was nothing compared to the first time Asami danced for her – and in her opinion, _nothing_ would ever compare with that – but it was fun and carefree and...happy. She hasn’t felt that in a long time. She was also able to introduce Asami to a lot of people (to which the Dancer was very gracious, every time) and the Dancer’s natural charisma won everyone to her side like bees to honey.

Korra couldn’t blame them though. Asami was beautiful and graceful and wonderful and kind and fierce and unique… she could go on listing all the qualities she liked but she suspected that would take until the next day before she could finish (she was very willing to do it too). She grinned just thinking about it.

They were currently on the back of one of Azula's trucks, having stumbled into it late into the night with the both of them tipsy from drink and drunk on the moment.

The truck was supposed to drop them off near Jade Dragon and from what Korra could tell, they were still some ways away.

She awoke an hour after stumbling into the truck bed and unfortunately couldn’t go back to slumber. It was partly because her blood was still thrumming with the night's events and mostly because of the girl sleeping beside her, arm wrapped around her waist.

Still, she used the time to try to recall her favorite part of the night.

It was no wonder Asami's the lead dancer and choreographer for Opal's video. She could dance, boy, the girl could dance.

Korra has not been so turned on in her life. All that sinuous tangle of limbs coupled with the Dancer's beauty, dancing to the pulsating and throbbing drumming of the Sand people beat had Korra sweating beads.

She wanted to throw the Dancer over her shoulder right then and there and bring her to one of the relatively hidden ledges on the cliff face and join her in the primal dance of body to body, skin to skin, lips to lips.

But fortunately, she still had her wits about her and was able to control herself with enormous effort.

Even now though, she wanted to wake Asami up with hungry kisses. But she knew they weren’t quite ready for that yet until they’ve both talked about what was going on between them. Yes, they’ve breached the boundaries of casual touching but that didn’t mean she could take it further than that without the other one's say-so.

Until Asami said anything about wanting the same thing as she did, then she would have to be content with what they had at the moment.

She didn’t necessarily know what it was yet, but she wanted to stick around further to find out.

Just then, the girl beside her shifted and untangled her limbs from her.

“Good morning.”

Korra turned her head to emerald eyes regarding her sleepily.

“Good morning” she answered back, not being able to keep from smiling.

“Been awake long?” Asami asked, stretching, her chest bumping into Korra’s torso with the movement.

While the feeling of Asami’s body bumping into her was totally pleasant, Korra tried very hard not to imagine another, more intimate, possibly more pleasant setting. She succeeded but only just. And as usual, the constant blush she seemed to be wearing for most of the time she had been with Asami blossomed once again on her cheeks. It has been pretty annoying but Korra's used to it by now. It's not like there’s anything she can do to stop it.

“How are you feeling? Hungover?” she asked the Dancer who went back to cuddling against her.

“Not really. I’m feeling pretty good, surprisingly. I would’ve thought all that Cactus Juice would've left more damage. I’m more worried about our backs though. These sleeping bags aren’t doing much to lessen the bumpy ride. Good thing you’re a pretty comfy matress” Asami said, cringing as she tried to straighten her spine to prove a point.

Korra chuckled. Nobody's given her that compliment before.

They stayed quiet after that, enjoying the early morning half-light and each other.

Asami was worrying her lip, dreading their arrival at the Middle Ring. She didn’t want whatever this was to end. She curled tighter into Korra.

It was as if the Songwriter could feel her worries too since she put her hand on top of that of Asami's, the one holding her waist, as if offering comfort.

* * *

 

All too soon , they could see structures on each side of the road (which has steadily gotten smoother the nearer they got to the city limits).

The truck slowed down and stopped before someone called out, “Krow, we're here dude.”

Korra and Asami sat up, disturbing a sleeping Loris from one of the bags. Pabu blinked his eyes at them blearily.

“Our stop.” Korra stood up and gathered their things, handing Pabu to Asami and jumping out of the truck's back. Asami was slower in disembarking, carefully tucking Pabu into her arms since he went back to sleep.

Korra was talking to the truck driver, thanking him and handing him a couple of 100yuan bills before she turned back to Asami. The Jade Dragon was just around the corner. As they rounded the bend, they saw Iroh talking to a man beside a shiny black limo.

Iroh noticed them and gave them a very wide smile in welcome. “Ah. Korra, Asami. This gentleman is looking for our young Sato, apparently this was the last place she said she was going to, before disappearing into the great unknown. Her Father apparently got worried.”

Korra immediately looked bashful. “Oh. That's my fault. I kinda took Asami to the Desert for the Full Moon Fest.”

Asami looked at Korra, with a wry smile before addressing the stranger. “It’s ok Li. We just got back. I actually went on a real vacation this time, you shouldn’t have worried.”

“I wasn’t Ma'am, it's your Father you should be telling that to.” Li tipped his hat to Asami and gave the girls a small smile. “Im supposed to bring you back to the hotel.”

Asami suddenly felt as if everything was being rushed. She hasn’t spoken to Korra yet. And here she was being hurried back to the real world.

She hurriedly turned to the Songwriter. “Will you be attending Opal's music video launch tonight?” she asked, gripping Korra's shirt unconsciously.

“Yes, I’m supposed to attend” Korra said, her eyes never leaving the Dancer’s.

She had an overwhelming urge to just step forward and bridge the gap between them and kiss the Dancer. But she didn’t think that was appropriate, what with Iroh and Li looking on.

So she compromised and stepped forward and hugged Asami instead. “I’ll uhh.. see you tonight” she managed to get out, despite the awkwardness of the hug. It had none of the familiarity they developed over the Desert. It felt stinted and strange. Especially since Asami didn’t hug her back.

She handed the Dancer her bag, but Li immediately stepped in to carry it towards the car.

“See you tonight. I had a great time. Thanks…” Asami seemed about to say something else but hesitated at the last second. She stepped back, tearing her eyes away from Korra and headed towards the car.

Iroh had a package for Asami as she neared the car.

“This is for you, young Yasuko. You really are a spitting image of your mother. She loved this tea above all the others, I think you'll like it too” Iroh said, his kind eyes crinkled with a smile.

Asami had to keep looking at the package to keep her eyes from tearing up. It was more than the memory of her mom though. It was suddenly missing the warmth she had come to associate with the Water Tribe girl silently watching her. _You’ll see her tonight, silly_.

She didn’t know why she felt like crying, it was only for a couple of hours, for spirits’ sake. Then she'll be able to see Korra later that night. _Then what_? She'll be leaving, that’s what. Going their separate ways. It hurt to think about it.

She needed time to think it through. So she got into the car and didn’t look back, not knowing that the girl looking at her as she boarded the car was clenching her hands into fists and also trying her best not to be hurt by her seemingly callous goodbye.

 

* * *

 

Korra locked her room after telling Iroh she wanted to sleep some more since she wasn’t able to in the desert. Iroh laughed it off and said he wouldn’t be sleeping too if he was 30yrs younger and with Asami (to which Korra let out a very loud EWWWWWW IROH before she stormed into her room).

Despite the lack of sleep (she really was sleepy) her mind just wouldn’t let her rest.

So that was it. Just an awkward hug and some words of goodbye in exchange. Not even a goodbye kiss. Though she knew it was partly her fault since she was such a chicken. She should’ve just asked Asami out. They were close enough as friends (she thinks) for her to ask, at least.

Korra sighed. This was so complicated. But complicated in a good way. She really, really liked the Dancer. Enough that she occupied her thoughts in every way, every minute.

She grinned. She was going to ask Asami out tonight. And kiss her too, if that was possible. She'll lay out all her cards to the Dancer, and hope that the thudding in her chest and the whispering of her gut that Asami liked her too was right.

She sighed again. It seemed she couldn’t keep sighing. Is this what being in love felt like? It's definitely too early for that, right? Either way, she didn’t mind. She didn’t mind it at all.

 She was still smiling when sleep finally claimed her.

 

* * *

 

 

The lights were dim, the venue flooded with the who's who of the music industry. Korra's return from hiatus was apparently a big deal. Asami fixed her outfit for the opening dance.

She was able to spot Korra a while back, surrounded by sharply dressed celebrities and reporters alike. She looked markedly different from her casual outfit on the Desert. She was polished and spirits… was she beautiful.

She was wearing a dark blue button-down, a white bow tie adorning her neck and thin suspenders held up a very well-tailored pair of slacks. She looked every bit the successful Songwriter.

Asami didn’t want to join the people fawning over Korra though, and if she was honest, she felt a spike of jealousy over the women wearing skimpy dresses all but trying to drape themselves over the Songwriter. She tamped it down only marginally. She knew she didn’t have any right to keep Korra to herself.

Just then, the lights dimmed further, almost concealing the fully-packed theater. It was their cue to take their positions on stage. Asami went to the forefront, as it was her place as the lead choreographer.

Just then, drums started up. She knew it wasn’t a part of the original music they danced to. But she recognized the rhythm. It was the Sand People beat! It went on until they were all in position and then the familiar strains of the song started.

Then she moved. She did the steps she practiced a hundred times, her crew moving with her. Opal moved onto the stage to the cheers of the audience and did her thing. Asami had to admire the way the Sand People beat made the song more electric, more _alive_ than it was before, and she knew it was because of Korra's doing.

Thinking of Korra was like summoning her in her mind, she spotted the Songwriter in the crowd. She was at the front, watching her in that way of hers that made Asami want to show-off and dance only for her. So that's what she did for the rest of the song, her eyes never left Korra’s, just as the Songwriter’s never left hers. It would’ve made her conscious in any other situation but this was Dancing, and in Dancing, Asami Sato is Queen.

The song finished to an abruptly-cut crescendo and the audience stood up on their feet and cheered. The noise was enormous and took a while to die down. By then, the dancers and Opal have taken several bows onstage and they had to slowly peter out of it to get the crowd to stop cheering.

Asami hurried to her dressing room to take a quick shower and have her hair done so she could change into her dress for the night. It took about 30minutes and by the time she was ready, the show has taken a quick break in order to change the stage props for the next part of the program.

She entered the lobby to people drinking cocktails and her eyes immediately zeroed in on the blue eyes she's been wanting to gaze into since that morning.

Korra immediately broke out into her lazy lop-sided smile and Asami had to take a deep breath to keep from swooning. Korra is totally gorgeous.

She started out rushing but her steps slowed down as she neared the Songwriter, almost tentative in her approach. Korra was drinking champagne, looking really breathtaking as the Dancer drew nearer.

When they were mere steps apart, Korra opened her mouth to speak.

“Hey I missed….”. But before she could finish her sentence, she was surprised when a hand made its way around Asami's waist and the owner of the hand leaned in to kiss the Dancer’s cheek.

“Honey, you were so good up there.”

Asami was at a loss of words. She didn’t know Mako was going to be flying in to Ba Sing Se. He's never watched any of her shows before. How come he's here now? She felt a trickle of dread form in her gut before she looked at Korra.

The Songwriter's normally vibrant eyes have gone flat and her expression was cold. This alarmed her more since Korra is usually smiling. She's also gone quiet, too quiet.

“Oh, thank goodness! There you are!”

Korra and Asami was both startled by Opal's arrival, the flamboyant Singer giving them both friendly pecks on the cheeks.

“It's good that you're both here. Korra, you know Asami?”

“Apparently not.” Korra muttered under her breath but Asami was still able to catch it. Her voice was soft, causing Opal to tilt her head in question. When Korra didn’t say anything else, Opal turned towards Asami, continuing her introductions.

“And this is Asami, my very good friend that I always tell you about. And Bolin's brother, Asami's fiance, Mako.” At this, Opal excitedly asked Asami if she was surprised by Mako's appearance. Asami didn’t know what came out of her mouth but she automatically answered Opal's questions. Her attention was more focused on how Korra was receiving the news.

Opal was still chattering with Mako, and didn’t notice the awkward tension between the two women.

Korra couldn’t take it anymore. She tore her eyes away from Asami's, even though the other girl's expression seemed to be pleading with her. Unfortunately, her eyes were drawn to the ring on Asami's hand. Why did she miss it before? She couldn’t remember a ring when they were in the Desert. She probably took it off. Her tolerance levels gave out when she caught Mako's thumb rubbing little circles on his hold on Asami's waist and the gesture of possessiveness punched a hole in her heart.

“Excuse me, I have someone I have to meet. Nice meeting you.”

She walked as fast as her feet could take her, away from Mako and Asami and a gaping Opal. Away from the man Asami's supposed to marry. She couldn’t walk fast enough, racing through the hallways of the theater and when she reached the double doors, she started running. Away from the lights, away from the people, just.. away from it all.

 

* * *

 

 

Asami was craning her neck, scanning the heads of the people settled on the tables. The next part of the program was about to start but she hasn’t seen Korra since that disastrous introduction in the lobby.

She meant to tell Korra tonight. It was unfortunate that Mako had to ruin the chance before she could break it to Korra.

“Dear, fix your dress, it's almost falling down. I don't want to explain to people why my fiancé seems to lack propriety” Mako whispered in her ear.

She ignored him and continued looking for Korra. She should still be here somewhere.

But just then, someone cleared his throat on the speakers informing everyone that the program was about to start.

Bolin entered the stage to the cheers of everyone gathered there.

“Thank you everyone for coming over tonight for Opal's album launch – you are all privileged to be the first ones to watch the music video and more importantly, you are the first people outside of our production team to hear the song. So was it any good?” Bolin put his hand to his ear, an exaggerated prompt to the audience for them to convey their reactions.

The crowd let out a loud cheer, their approval for the song quite obvious.

Asami felt her heart swell, even though the majority of her attention was still scanning the crowd for Korra.

“Wow, glad you liked it” Bolin deadpanned, to the chuckles of the crowd.

“But we all wouldn’t be here tonight if a very good friend didn’t come out of hiatus, in the first place. Didn’t come out to share her immense talent with us. For those of you who know her, she's been living here in Ba Sing Se for three years now. But what most of you don’t know is that, she's also been busy ever since she left the limelight. She's enjoyed success ever since she started writing songs, 23 of those songs reaching number 1 on the Music Spirit Charts” Bolin paused for another thunderous applause “at the young age of 21” – another louder applause followed.

Asami stopped her search to listen raptly to Bolin's recount of Korra's exploits.

“Since then, she established 8 Centers for Music here at Ba Sing Se alone, 2 in the Inner Ring, 4 in the Mid Ring and 2 in the Lower Ring. And she’s also in the process of expanding her schools outside of Ba Sing Se. Right now though, the Centers for Music, or Avatar University as it is known collectively, already have at least 2000 students enrolled, all covered by Korra's earnings from her music. Which means, kids get to learn music for free!” Bolin paused dramatically for effect and he was rewarded by the majority of the audience standing up and clapping and cheering.

Asami noticed a very well-dressed gentleman do a wolf-whistle and she had to do a double-take when she realized the distinguished-looking gentleman to be Ah-Kun.

Opal walked into the stage and stood up beside Bolin and spoke into the microphone.

“This night is more than about my music, it's actually to give recognition and credit to one of our very good friends – though we know she hates it- ‘coz she’s not one for fanfare.” Opal laughed out loud and the crowd laughed with her.

“So without further ado, we present this Award for being an honorary Outstanding Citizen of the Earth Nation to one of the best Songwriters in the world, my best friend, Korraaaaaa!!!!”

The applause that followed was nothing short of deafening. Asami was cheering along with the others, clapping till her hands ached. The clapping went on for a few minutes but when nobody ascended the stage – particularly Korra – the clapping began to trickle out until it was replaced by the curious murmurs of the crowd.

“Where is she?”

“Wasn’t she here a few minutes ago?”

Opal and Bolin was looking around the stage, also obviously stumped as to where Korra was.

“Is Korra here? Did anyone see if she went to the little girl's room?” Bolin asked, stalling with a bit of humor.

 

* * *

 

 

Asami was looking around worriedly when she noticed one of the guards walk up the stage and whisper to Bolin and Opal.

She started to walk towards her friends, worried that something might have happened to the Songwriter.

She could vaguely hear Mako calling her name but she didn’t care.

She was almost to the stage when Opal cleared her throat to get the audience's attention.

“Uhmm. It seems that Korra has a pressing engagement since she apparently left the building in a rush, but don’t worry folks” Opal put up her hands to appease the crowd “we'll make sure Korra gets this Award and we'll be tying her to chair next time she's supposed to come onstage.”

Opal finished her announcement on a light note but it was obvious to Asami that her friend was as worried as she was.

She rushed to the backstage entrance and caught Opal just as was exiting the stage proper.

“Opal… Opal, what's wrong? Is Korra okay?” she let out in a rush of breath.

“Oh, Asami, I actually don’t know. The guard said they saw her rush out of the building, not even bothering to wait for her chauffer.”

Asami groaned and covered her face with her hands.

“Asami, are you okay?” she heard Opal say, concern in her query.

“Opal…. I think, I…” Asami gulped and continued “I think I’m in love with Korra.” There. It was out in the open. Though her hands were still obscuring her face, her voice was sure and strong.

“What? When did that happen? And… and.. Asami, you’re leaving and you're about to get married! To Bolin's brother, no less!”

Asami finally took off the hands her face to reveal eyes that were watery with worry and confusion.

Opal's expression immediately softened. “I’ve never seen you this distraught before. Not even for Mako. I think, you’ve got it bad and you have quite a story to tell.”

“It’s a long one.” Asami sniffled.

“Don’t worry honey, we have all night.” Opal put her arm around the taller girl’s shoulders.

“But you have your video launch and.. and I’m supposed to leave in 5 hours.” Asami couldn’t keep a tear from falling anymore. And once the first one fell, it seemed she couldn’t keep the flood inside.

“Hey, come here.” Opal gathered her in a hug.

“Korra’s not the only one who can do a disappearing act. Bolin can take care of the program. He's born for it. And as for the remaining 5 hours, I guess you should start your story now so I can figure out why you're currently bawling your eyes out for someone you didn’t even know 2days ago.”

Asami couldn’t help but give a weak laugh despite her tears. It was true, Korra and her were practically strangers two days ago. She didn’t know when it happened specifically, but she couldn’t deny it now. The thought of never seeing Korra again was unbearable. And what about Mako? He didn’t deserve this kind of unfaithfulness, even though they had been drifting apart for a long time now, engagement notwithstanding. It was just…. Marriage for her. It didn’t hold a deeper meaning in her heart. Wasn't every relationship just for convenience? She wasn’t particularly bothered with the lack of passion since she's never experienced it before. She used to think passion was overrated, a product of cheesy movers. But that was until she met Korra.

She had to figure out what to do- both with Mako and the Songwriter.

And if Korra hated her, then the least she had to do was apologize. But there was one problem. If Korra's disappeared, she didn’t know where to look for her. It seemed the Songwriter had a multitude of hiding places she's acquired during her time here in Ba Sing Se.

Asami took a deep steadying breath now that she’s accepted what the songwriter meant to her. And she had a very hard endeavor in front of her.

She needed help. She linked her arm with Opal's. “Opal, I need your help, but first, let me tell you about that morning I went looking for the Jade Dragon……”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long (it seems I apologize everytime i put out a chapter) but anyhoo.....
> 
> What about that Chap title huh? ain't no title gonna be more spoiler-y than that haha.
> 
> So, another long one - one more chap and we're donneee (*insert premature celebration here*) - also, i have to apologise to one of my readers 'coz i told her i would put up a chap for my other fic, but alas, i did one for this instead.
> 
> Writing is so hard. especially if you don't really write. i don't. i only write for my three fics. for KORRASAMI WOOOOOHOOO!!! 
> 
> i just want to say i love these two so much. reading other fics has got me into thinking, Korra and Asami have helped so many people get through their issues, issues that range from - child abuse, gender probs, parents, disillusionment or life, in general. And i have to say, i applaud Bryan and Michael for bringing these two to life, even if it's only through a children's cartoon (IT'S NOT ONLY A CARTOON DAMMIT!).
> 
> I'm saying this because I too have issues and these two have helped me muddle through it for some time now. I'm really, really grateful even though, you know, Korrasami's fictional and not real. heh. To each her own, I guess. It makes me sad to see everyone's fic updates down to a trickle though. what happens when there are no more Korrasami stories?
> 
> But, enough about that. Hope you enjoyed even though i know i missed correcting some grammar and spelling mistakes. that's what happens when you don't have a beta.
> 
> if this update got to you, comment what you think is gonna happen next chap. thanks for reading!


	6. If there's a will, there's a way

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Asami makes a choice

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry about the very long waiting time. I wanted to finish the damn thing but alas, I have writer's block. It's so sad. :( I've done a bit of Asami's story though (but it's not as fun as the previous chapters). I kinda got stuck on Korra's story. Oh well, as long as we're nearing the end, then that's good enough. I have the whole thing mapped up and outlined in my head - so, not to worry. And when i do finish this, then i can concentrate on my other stories. yey (boo).
> 
> what's the medicine for writer's block? help. please.  
> but anyway, for now, INTO THE FRAY! :D
> 
> (so sorry for this product of writer's block chapter - it was very hard to churn out)

**6 Months Ago**

It's already been 51minutes. Asami gritted her teeth and resolved to leave when it reached 59. Almost an hour waiting for her date, who was late. Again. The irony was that he was the one who set it up this time.

Asami blew on the bangs falling into her eyes and rested her chin on her hand. Nevermind that it was very bad manners to put her elbow on the fine dining table. She didn’t care. It was a shit day at work- some of her Dad’s more misogynistic Board Members had given her a hard time in asking for one of her design's approvals.

She blew another irritated breath. Like she was an incompetent rookie Engineer. Her brain could run circles around those pompous men and still have enough energy left till the next day. She should’ve told them off, being the Daughter of the CEO and all.

But that wasn’t how her father trained her to be. So she swallowed her irritation, smiled and took the poorly disguised condescension from her father's peers. It got her the approvals, and she caught her Dad's slight smile on the way out – his way of saying he was proud of her. Yep, she can handle herself fine.

So Asami was actually looking forward to this date night. But if there was one thing Mako was good at, it was in being consistent. Unfortunately, that included being late.

Asami wondered if this was how being in a relationship really is. Though they’ve been together for years and she knew it involved sacrifices, she wondered if the woman always had to be the one who gave in. Sadly, she didn’t have a basis for reference.

Mako was her first boyfriend, they got together in highschool and just didn’t separate since. So there was no previous relationship she could compare theirs' to.

But she was pragmatic. Maybe the whole romance thing was, _is_ overrated. A thing created for movers to delight viewers. To make them believe that there is something real as passionate, romantic, all-consuming love.

She didn’t believe it, of course. She lived in the real world. Love was… love is… companionship. Love is… consistency. And that's what she had with Mako. A companion who is consistent (it could also be the other way around). The love that movers described- it was a myth. A white elephant.

A small thought wormed its way at the back of her mind, the way her friends Opal and Bolin’s relationship seemed to display all the descriptions of the mythical Love. Asami stubbornly quashed the thought before it could break her theory. Opal and Bolin were an exception, that was all. What they had was an anomaly.

She looked at her watch again, 59minutes late. That was it. She stood up, ignoring the pitying look the waiter gave her and was about to ask for the bill (so what if she drank some wine while waiting, she deserved it after a shit day) when the door to the private dining room burst open to reveal Mako who seemed like he actually just finished running.

“Asami, I’m so, so sorry I’m late, there was a briefing I couldn’t get out of since I am the lead detective in the case” he said, rushing towards her side and kissing her on the cheek.

Asami let out a long-suffering sigh.

“You asked for the date this time, Mako. You could have just told me over the phone that you were going to be late and I could have gone home.”

She made to walk out but Mako caught her hand. “Asami, please don’t go, there’s something really important I need to ask you.”

“Oh?” Asami stopped, intrigued. She wondered what Mako's excuse is this time.

To her surprise, he got down on one knee.

“Asami Sato, my best friend, my number one girl, would you do me the honor of being my wife?” at that, he took a box out of his pocket and, presenting it to her, opened it.

Asami gasped, the ring was exquisite, the diamond on it was big, blinding, even.

Her hand flew to her mouth to stifle her gasp. Mako took it for surprise.

In truth, she was horrified. She had no idea at all that Mako would propose that night. She knew it was going to happen eventually, but not at that exact moment.

She didn’t know if she was ready. She should’ve been, shouldn’t she? It was almost cliché - her, marrying her first boyfriend, the guy she dated during highschool. Her childhood sweetheart, in a sense. She wondered why she couldn’t be more ecstatic about it. Is this how it should feel like, being proposed to?

Asami was unaware that she was actually holding her breath and that Mako was looking at her expectantly. She released it and tried to answer.

“I… I…” she stuttered.

“Please say I do…” Mako interrupted, squeezing her hand.

Asami was still gaping, trying to form out words.

“Come on, we’ve been together since high school. We’re meant to be.” Mako blurted. Asami couldn’t help but notice the slight tone of impatience in his voice.

She wanted to say no. She wanted … more time. She was surprised at her reaction and couldn’t understand why. Why was she hesitating?

But….maybe the more pressing question was, what brought this hesitation on? Wasn’t she just thinking a while ago that Mako represented what she thought Love really is? Consistency? Companionship? Then why was she acting the fool and withholding an affirmative?

Mako squeezed her hand again. “You _love_ me, don’t you?”

It took Asami a few seconds to reply. In her mind, she was repeating the words “love is companionship and consistency” like a mantra, over and over again.

“Love? ( _consistency, companionship_ ) …Yes. I love you..” she said, albeit haltingly.

Mako smiled. “Then say I do.”

“I..”Asami gulped. “I do.”

Mako's smile grew wider. “Great! That’s one decision you won’t regret. We'll be good together, forever.” He stood up and fitted the overly ostentatious ring on Asami's finger. He kissed her, wet and quick at the corner of her mouth (he had a thing about not getting any lipstick on his lips when kissing her – he hated the way it wouldn’t come off and “people might get the wrong idea” he said) and hugged her.

All the while, Asami was going through the motions in a daze.

“I’m engaged” she whispered, mainly to herself so it could feel real.

She was still trying to process everything that happened in her head (blaming the wine she previously drank because it severely slowed down her mental capacities) when Mako took her by the shoulders and let her face the door to the dining room.

He barely had time to whisper “Smile for the whole world, future Mrs.Mako!” when the door was opened to reveal a crowd of reporters and photographers who immediately started shouting questions and taking pictures.

“What.. what is happening? Where’d all these paparazzi come from?” Asami blurted, jolted out of her haze by the sudden unwelcome influx of strangers.

“Well, they couldn’t very well leave out the most important wedding in history from the headlines tomorrow could they?” Mako smirked. “I mean, the wedding of the next Chief of Police and the Heiress of Future Industries is nothing to scoff at”.

Asami couldn’t think of anything to say to that mainly because she was still reeling. The whole scenario was so… surreal. And she didn’t know what to make of it.

So she let Mako take over the whole ordeal, talking to and answering questions from the reporters. She even gleaned that Mako invited them over himself, wanting to “document” the momentous occasion, not even for a moment assuming that she’d answer no. She stayed quiet after that, the paparazzi collectively assuming that she’s too overwhelmed with the engagement.

Only belatedly when she got home, did she realize Mako and her never even got to proceed with their date.

She was tired from the day, but even with everything that happened, she still had a restless energy that wouldn’t let sleep take over.

Mako couldn’t come home with her, citing a very early morning so he had to go home to his own apartment, nearer to his work place.

At the parking lot, Asami expected to have had at least a real kiss from her fiancée, seeing as they were going to be spending their lives together but Mako only gave her a hug and the customary peck at the corner of her mouth.

She would’ve protested that – seeing as the paparazzi have all gone and Mako could kiss her for real then and there but at that point and with the night's happenings, she was already too tired to argue.

They said their goodnights and went on their separate ways.

Asami punched her pillow for the nth time that hour and winced when she hit her ring on the mattress, the gold circle pushing back on her finger painfully.

The Dancer released a growl of frustration, got up and stalked to her closet. She changed into her workout clothes and proceeded to her private dance studio to burn off some steam.

Asami took off the ring as she flipped through her playlist for a decent fast beat to dance to and settled on Opal's last album from about two years ago.

She started stretching, ready to lose herself in mindless action, just pure dance.

Opal's album was composed of mainly upbeat tracks and by the time she wore herself out, she guessed that the album was all played out as well judging from the silence.

She took out a Gatorade from the mini-fridge cleverly integrated into the wood panel walls and sat down.

The Dancer was content with the sweat she worked out, free of confusing feelings for the moment when the strains of a haunting violin started playing from her speakers.

She cocked her head. She hasn’t listened to this song before (and wasn’t even aware there was a bonus track), probably cause it was purposefully a couple of minutes delayed from the rest of the songs. Also, this didn’t sound like Opal's usual pop melodies.

But it was indeed Opal’s as she started singing the first verse. The song was melancholy, the melody was enchanting. The beauty of it was compounded all the more by the string section background but it was also arresting.

Asami found herself straining to listen to what the lyrics said, words that defied her idea of Love. Words that spoke of a longing touch, an electric stare, a mutual fascination, a tentative, surprising romance. The song was…is beautiful.

  

By the time it finished, she didn’t realize that she was crying. She was surprised and a bit embarrassed that a song could reduce her to tears. It wasn’t a genre she usually listened to (her playlists mostly consisted of dance tracks) and if she hadn’t stumbled into hearing it accidentally, she doubted she’d ever hear it all.

The Dancer picked herself up from the floor she was sitting on (gosh, did becoming newly-engaged usually turn one into an emotional mess?) and resolved to call Opal and ask about the intriguing song in the morning.

 

* * *

 

 

“Asami!!!! Where have you been? I’m so glad to hear from you, we were thinking you’ve turned into a hermit since we haven’t talked to you in, oh, like, 9 months and not for lack of trying!” Opal's voice was teasing but there was a bit of hurt in there that Asami could hear.

“Opal” Asami couldn’t keep the happiness from her voice though, it really did feel good to hear her friend's voice again.

“I’ve been busy with the company. You know how Dad is. So sorry. But I missed you guys!!!” she exclaimed brightly, unable to keep the excitement from her voice.

“You better be calling to tell me and Bo about your surprise engagement. At least that will ease the pain we felt when we learned about it from the morning papers a while ago and not from you personally.”

“This morning?!” Asami blurted out, alarmed. But then she realized Zaofu was several hours ahead in terms of timelines. She let out an embarrassed laugh. _News really travels fast._

“I’m so sorry Opal, I wasn’t even thinking of it” she said, her old irritation from being last night's paparazzi bonanza returning full force. “And I’m also sorry you had to hear it that way” she added, just so Opal wouldn’t mistake the irk in her voice to be aimed at her.

“Mako just had reporters at the ready so he can ‘document the whole momentous occasion' -his words, not mine” she said glumly, unaware that it seeped into her tone.

“Wow. My. Uhm. That actually sounds…ahem. You know what, forget it” Opal cleared her throat awkwardly.

“Anyway, I know I should be saying congratulations and yeah, all that. But, Asami, are you okay? You don’t sound like a newly-engaged woman should.”

Once again, Asami was grateful she had Opal for a friend, she was so perceptive, even if they hadn’t seen or contacted each other in so long.

“Yeah. I’m… okay. I think I’m just in a funk right now. Maybe it’s all the work And I don’t get to perform as much anymore so…” she sighed, almost as an afterthought.

There was moment of silence as Opal patiently waited for her to elaborate further. The Dancer wanted to spill her thoughts, realizing that she’s been caught up in her head and desperately needed someone to really talk with at the moment. But doing that on the phone just didn’t seem right. She needed to be in the company of her friends. Unfortunately, Opal and Bo lived all the way out in Zaofu. She had to fly down there and visit them soon.

“Hey Opal, last night, I was actually listening to your album and I got to listen to one of your songs I never heard before” Asami said, trying to change the subject.

Thankfully, Opal knew her enough to acknowledge that she’d open up about what was bothering her in her own time and went along with the subject change gracefully.

“Oh, what’s that?”

“The last track, the one with the violin. It was beautiful. Thank you for writing it. It made me feel better.” Asami smiled, remembering the haunting melody that somehow wormed its way to her heart, enough to make her tear up.

“Oh. That's actually my friend’s song, I just sang it. That friend wrote and co-produced the whole album. She didn’t want to include it since she said it’s ‘not on theme’ but I insisted. It’s a wonderful song, isn’t it?” Opal said wistfully.

“It is that” Asami agreed. “What’s the title? And do I know this friend of yours?” she asked, curiosity piqued.

“Oh. Ironically enough, for a song that's so sad, it's titled ‘The Upbeat'. She named it as a joke. And I don’t think you know her. But she’s one of the most awesome musicians I’ve ever met. Also, she’s an even better person. I just recently came in contact with her again and we’re planning on doing the next album together. So I’m pretty pumped up about that.” Opal started getting a bit more animated and Asami was excited for her. Along with being a close friend, she’s actually a fan of Opal Beifong.

“Wow. Cool. So a new album huh? Any chance I get to do the choreography?” the Dancer said, semi-seriously.

“Why of course, who’d you think I’d run to for that?” Opal laughed, reassuring.

“You'd really let me do it?” Asami asked excitedly, somehow noting that she was looking forward more to dancing for Opal than for her upcoming wedding.

“Of course” Opal said, as if there was actually no way she’d even consider otherwise. After a beat, “Maybe I’d even get to introduce you to my friend.”

“The one who wrote the song?” Asami asked, aware that for some reason, she was really looking forward to meeting the person who made the beautifully crafted song.

“Yep. I can just picture the two of you getting along. Actually, I can’t wait for you to meet her. Her name’s Korra. _You're definitely gonna love her_.”

 

* * *

 

 

**Present Day**

First order of business. No more lies. Especially lies of omission. So, she had to tell Mako.

There was no other way around it. And she wasn’t about to break her **_First Order of Business_** by _not_ telling Mako why she had to break up with him. ‘Coz if there was anything about Asami Sato, she _is_ Business.

Heck, she graduated with flying colors with a double major on Mechanical Engineering _and_ Business and Economics. She could do business with her eyes closed. And.. _why the heck was she thinking so much about Business_?

Prolonging the inevitable, that’s what it is. She stopped her resolute march on the hotel's hallway, towards her and Mako's room, closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

She had worked herself up, trying to psych herself.

She proceeded at a much calmer walk while trying to sift through the thousand things on her mind, chief of which was the owner of the most beautiful cerulean eyes she's ever seen.

It was a good thing she had Opal though. She listened while Asami recounted what happened and why she believed herself to now be in love with someone who's virtually a stranger.

She could still recall Opal trying to be objective over the matter.

_“Asami, I’ve never known you to be impulsive. But this is the closest I thing you’ve ever been to one. So I trust you’ve weighed this in your mind a thousand times before you gave voice to it” Opal asked, waiting for the Dancer’s affirmative._

_But Asami could only shake her head and shrug forlornly “I think this is the first time in my life that I’m not sure about anything. I’m not even sure if Korra likes me back. But I’m willing to try. I want to tell her, even at the risk of rejection.”_

_Opal's eyes widened. “Wow. Sato, you’ve got it bad!”_

_Asami could only slump further into the Singer’s comfy sofa._

_“Wait a minute…” Opal squinted her eyes, “…did something happen between you two? Did you have sex?!?”_

_“What?! No! I mean, we almost kissed a couple of times, I mean alright, more than a couple of times, but nothing happened!” Asami denied, flustered, but her righteous indignation was somehow ruined by the deep blush rapidly spreading on her face._

_“Okay, okay! It was just a question sheesh” Opal appeased (though she was unable to hide her shit-eating grin)._

_Asami kept quiet after that, caught up in her head._

_After a few minutes, Opal cleared her throat. “You know I love you like a sister, don’t you?” she asked the Dancer, for once serious._

_Asami nodded and cocked her head, listening._

_“There’s a prevalent theme in so many of Korra's songs, and it’s the only thing I can advise you to do.”_

_Asami raised her head, showing the first sign of perking up since they talked._

_“Follow your heart, Asami. That’s what Korra would do.”_

* * *

Opal's right, of course. And that’s what brought Asami to her hotel room's door, afraid but determined.

She took a calming breath but unfortunately, the moment was just enough for some dreadful thoughts to pop into her head.

What if she didn’t meet Korra? What if she didn’t experience the two greatest days of her life? What if she didn’t discover that the love they talked about in the movers actually existed? Would she have just gone on with a marriage without passion? Without romance, without excitement? How could she have believed that she could exist like that?

Meeting the Songwriter has changed so many of her views in life and now she _knew_. She knew she is looking for passion, for excitement, for the breathlessness that came with even just the simple thought of the other. To feel the blood rush through her veins and her heart beat tripling, by just being in the same vicinity.

That's why she was doing what she was doing. She knew she owed Mako the truth. Heck, she owed it to herself to tell the truth. Taking a deep breath, she opened the door. _Well, here goes nothing._

* * *

Mako was standing with his back to her facing the window overlooking the nighttime cityscape view of Upper Ring Ba Sing Se. She could see from his angle that he was actually holding a half full wine glass.

“Asami.” Mako was startled from his reverie when he heard her step hesitantly towards him, heels echoing loudly on the wooden parquet floor.

“Mako” she acknowledged, not knowing how to start.

“It’s wonderful here, don’t you think? I never get to appreciate it that much everytime I’m here. It’s always business” Mako said, turning back to the view.

“Waxing sentimental tonight?” the Dancer prompted, getting her own glass and filling it up with red wine.

Mako smiled, a small one. He took a sip on his wine glass. He let out a deep breath. And then to Asami's surprise, he tipped his head back and drained his glass.

Mako was never a drinker.

“What’s on your mind, Mako?” Asami asked, curious, but at the same time, wanting to delay what she wanted to say for as long as she could.

“There’s a reason I came here tonight Asami. We need to talk.”

For a couple of seconds, Asami panicked. _He knows_. But then her rational mind took over. There was no way for him to know anything because she just made the decision to tell him not more than an hour ago. The only one she told was Opal and yeah, she was normally a gossip but her friend wouldn’t spill the beans on her on something this important.

On any other circumstance, Asami would be nervous with the ominous way Mako started their conversation, especially with those words, but right now, she was just vaguely curious.

 

“I never watch you dance enough. You’re always beautiful but when you dance, it's like I’m seeing another you- I dunno. It’s like you’re younger, more free…”

Mako looked at her sheepishly. “I’m sorry, I’m rambling.”

Asami smiled, indicating for him to go on.

“I came here to see if you still loved me Asami.”

_Where’d that come from?_

“What do you mean, Mako?” Asami asked, now a bit alarmed whether Mako really did know about her and Korra.

“It’s just… we’ve been together for so long and… we’ve always been so busy. I mean, we have very successful careers and all but...”

“Mako, I..” Asami started.

“Wait, please, let me get this out.. please” Mako begged until Asami nodded her assent.

“I just think… I mean…” he took a deep breath. “There’s someone else” he blurted in a rush.

“What???” asked a wide-eyed Asami.

“It’s just, I wanted to come clean. It wasn’t working between us, it hasn’t been working for a long time now and I..”

“Not working? I said yes when you wanted marriage, Mako” Asami said, still processing the news.

“I know, and I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked. I figured, if I asked and you said yes, I could stop seeing her, you know, but.. it didn’t work”. Mako was sweating, beads of perspiration rolling down his otherwise perfect forehead.

“Wait a minute. You were cheating on me the whole time, even before you proposed?” Asami put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow.

Mako out up his hands in a placating gesture. “I wouldn’t call cheating, it was more like..”

“How long?”

“Now Asami…”

“How long???” Asami said, impatience and irritation evident in her voice.

“More than a year now” Mako looked down, unable to meet Asami's eyes.

After a couple of minutes of silence, Mako peered up from looking downwards, trying to gauge the Dancer’s reaction and why she was remaining quiet.

Asami's expression was unreadable but finally, she spoke up.

“I really want to hit you right now, but under the circumstances, you just gave me an easy way out.”

She took off her ring and pushed it into Mako's chest. “I think this belongs to you.”

Mako squinted his eyes at her. “Wait a minute. You're not even sad this happened?”

“Actually, I’m ecstatic” Asami answered, a smile blooming on her face.

Mako’s eyes grew big, like he just realized something. “Are you cheating on me? Because if you are, then that bastard who thinks he can steal my girl from under my nose..”

“Mako.” Asami said, voice quiet.

Luckily, Mako heard the hint of menace in that one word that he stopped rambling.

“I haven’t been _your girl_ for a long time now”. Asami pushed the ring once more into Mako's chest and when he didn’t take it, she let it fall.

Asami turned around but before she started walking, she wanted to Mako to know one thing “You’re such a douchebag Mako, I don’t know why I stayed with you for so long.”

Unfortunately, it seemed Mako's pride still couldn’t accept that there was someone else for Asami.

“No. The real douche is that bastard who thinks _he_ can…”

At that moment, he only saw a blur of motion before he was lying on his back with a bleeding nose

“Actually Mako, the person, is a _she_ ” Asami smirked before going out the hotel room leaving a moaning Mako on the floor.

 

* * *

 

Asami dialed her Dad's number from his Ba Sing Se penthouse unit. She never used it when she was in town because it was too large to be comfortable. It just made her realize how alone she was sometimes. But right now, it turned out to be a pretty convenient place to have.

The phone rang twice before her Dad picked up.

“Hey Dear. How was your trip? Are you getting ready to come back?” Hiroshi Sato asked, his gruff office voice turned gentle when talking to his only daughter.

“Hey Dad. Uhm. There's something I need to talk to you about.” Asami said, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice.

“Asami. Is everything okay?” Hiroshi said, somehow sensing her discomfort, his voice now laced with concern.

“Mako and I broke up” Asami answered withholding Mako's two-timing for now.

“Oh my baby girl. I’m sorry to hear that” Hiroshi immediately consoled. “Are you on the way home? Do you want me to fly down there and beat Mako up?”

Asami couldn’t help it, but a few tears fell when she heard the concern on her Dad's voice. And she didn’t doubt he’d do what he said he’d do too. She chuckled while wiping the stray tears. “It’s okay Daddy. No need. I punched him on the nose already.”

At that, she heard a grunt on the speaker, like her Dad tried to cover a belly laugh but did it poorly.

“Good. That’s my girl”.

Asami immediately started feeling better, thankful that even though her Dad was a tough boss, he will always be an awesome Father.

 

“Actually, I called for another reason” she said timidly.

“Oh?”

“I was hoping uhmm… could I extend my vacation leave?”.

There was a couple of seconds before her dad answered.

“Asami, in the 3 years you interned and worked for me, your previous 5 days in Ba Sing Se was the first vacation leave you ever took voluntarily. Usually, I had to force you to use your VLs. If you need some time off work, you definitely deserve it. Heck, I’d even tell the guards to turn you away if you insisted on coming back right now” Hiroshi said sternly, but not without a hint of affection.

Asami smiled gratefully “Thanks.”

“And Asami?”

“Yes Dad?”

“I love you. You know you’re the only one I’ve got left and sometimes you think I don’t see, but I felt your loneliness, even when you were with Mako. If you can, go and find something that makes you happy” Hiroshi added, not unkindly.

Asami smiled, touched “I will. I am. Love you too Dad, bye.”  
  
  
Her smile stayed with her as she proceeded to plan her next steps. Somehow, somewhere in the world was the person she's always wanted. And she was going to try everything in her power to get Korra back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song companion, Uninvited by Alanis Morissette

**Author's Note:**

> I know I still have two unfinished fics. I'm finishing those, I've got the outlines mapped out in my head and all. But for some reason, I can't get past the procrastination and the writer's block (procrastination). Anyhoo, I wrote the first part of this story about a month ago and emailed it to myself. And I forgot about it. Luckily, I found it again whilst rifling through my inbox. I've actually tried to cram everything into a one-shot but it's gonna be too long (actually I'm too sleepy right now to write the next 3k words or so.... so the next coupl'a chapters are gonna be coming next week). This will only be 2-3 chapters long. since I've discovered that multi-chapter fics upwards of five are actually very hard to follow-through. Hope y'all like it :D
> 
> Got inspired to write this fic whilst browsing Youtube and stumbling upon Urban Dance Camp's Koharu Sugawara dancing to Elastic Heart. Watch it.
> 
>  
> 
> Next-up, Asami finds out how amazing Korra really is
> 
> *Not beta'd 'coz I have no beta :D


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